Secrets
by Makayla
Summary: Ed spluttered as he tried to come up with an answer that wasn't 'because every time I get near him recently I seem to end up making-out with him against the nearest wall'- Gang AU EnEd -IN THE PROCESS OF REWRITE-
1. Thursday

This story has been sat around collecting dust for almost a year now and I haven't done anything with it. Mostly because I started back at college and forgot about it. Then I found new things to obsess over and this poor old thing lay dormant. However with summer holidays looming ever nearer once again I have decided that I need to start wrapping up my loose ends occasionally. Thus, this story is being resurrected...

Again I add the warning that this will be yaoi, so if this offends anybody then I would suggest skipping this story and looking elsewhere

Disclaimer: Hiromu Arakawa maybe a woman but I'm afraid she is not this woman.

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Chapter 1- Thursday

"We've got about 3 minutes left. Complete the question on the board or you're not leaving." The drill sergeant Miss Higgins instructed. Edward joined the groan which broke out around Central High's Class 2A and he looked unhappily at the slide that had been projected on the whiteboard.

'Calculate the empirical formula of a compound containing calcium and oxygen when oxygen is 16.6 percent'. Ed's immediate grievances were lost at the words and he felt a chuckle rise to his throat as pulled out a particularly useful bit of information from the depths of his memory. Cheerfully he wrote out the chemical formula for quicklime- one of those lovely, quintessential alchemy elements.

"You know you're supposed to work that out; mathematical equations and all that?"

"You're just jealous of my seriously superior knowledge Tringham."

"Hardly," Russell snorted, "who'd be jealous of a little runt like you?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO LITTLE HE'D BE CRUSHED BY ONE OF HIS OWN BRAIN CELLS?"

"ELRIC! DETENTION!" Miss Higgins screamed back, but was drowned out by the lunch bell and the subsequent stampeding students. Ed, jumped into the sea of disappearing students, threw his answer sheet on the table next to the door and ducked out of the classroom before the angry woman could call him back.

The two second years made it to the heavily packed lunchroom in record time and, ignoring the glares burning into their backs, they made a beeline for a table to the far right. It was made for eight people but of course this had been completely dismissed by the group of nine who were sat in a misshapen circle. Ed slipped into an empty chair sat waiting for him next to his brother, Alphonse.

"Good afternoon."

Roy Mustang sipped his coke as he eyed Edward suspiciously, "What are you so happy about?"

"Nothing," Ed answered, digging through his backpack for lunch.

"He just escaped detention Colonel," Russell provided, although it was slightly muffled as somehow he was already halfway through a sandwich.

"Another one? You're getting good at that. So you took my warning to heart then?" Roy asked with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk.

Ed scowled, "like hell you're going to stick me behind a desk for three months! I'd go crazy shut up in that hellhole: office gossip, bitchy women and stacks of boring paperwork that you can't be arsed to do; I'd probably go on some kind of killing spree." Ed finally gave up rooting about in his bag and turned to his brother. "Hey Al did I…?" Ed stared down at the box that had been slid across the table.

"You forgot it this morning," Al told him.

"Al you're the best little brother a man could ask for," Ed informed him with a grin, quickly prying open his large bento box to devour the contents.

"Only because you treat me like I'm your wife," Al replied unhappily and turned to his other neighbour, leaving Ed to frown at the roughly-shorn hair at the back of his head.

"It's Maths next, right?"

"Yeah," Fletcher Tringham replied, "think we've got a supply today though."

"A supply?" Jean Havoc asked, turning away from the homework tutoring he was receiving from Kain Fuery, "Is it that really hot one? The one with all the..." Havoc made an hourglass gesture with his hands, "...curves?"

"I don't know," Fletcher replied, eyeing the man warily.

"I know the one you mean!" Heymans Breda exclaimed, "The blonde one, she's always wearing skirts and heels."

"Oh Miss Kelly!" Roy supplied helpfully, "yes she is a beautiful example of the female specimen," he proclaimed dreamily.

"HEY! HOW COME YOU KNOW HER FIRST NAME?" Havoc lamented loudly.

Roy leaned back in a quixotic pose, "Oh, we went to a nice little Italian restaurant a few weeks ba…"

"WHAT?" Several voices crushed over his sentence.

As the group around him got drawn into the discussion, Ed noticed Fuery make the mistake of starting a conversation with Alex Armstrong.

"So err… Major. Are you well?" he asked the imposing man politely.

The major turned his head towards the smaller boy slowly and Ed watched as realisation dawned on Fuery's that yet again he'd made some obscure conversational mishap, "Am I _well_ Sergeant?" Armstrong boomed, "_Do my beautiful muscles not sing with perfect health_?" 'Major' Alex Armstrong demanded, his shirt landing on the head of some poor girl sitting innocently behind him. "Listen to their healthy swell! Listen!" The muscled teen pushed his arm so far into the bespectacled boy's face it pushed against his nose, and flexed it expertly. The man positively _sparkled_.

Ed sighed and looked away from the frighteningly common spectacle to survey the crowds. The population of Central's dining hall seemed quite content to stare at the half-naked teen: they were no doubt enjoying the lunchtime entertainment; but on the opposite side of the room Envy Homunculus was directing his attention directly at Ed. The purple-eyed teen grinned when he caught Ed's gaze and gave a mock-salute. Ed gave him a glare and the middle finger in response.

Of course, this only seemed to amuse the other further and Ed scowled as he looked pointedly back to his friends. Roy caught his gaze.

"I think the Homunculi want a fight," Roy noted from across the table. The words caused an inactivity to spread amongst the group. They stopped heckling; muscle-flexing; retreating so far back that they were almost lying on Havoc's lap to turn their heads to face Roy. The dining hall population, sensing that the entertainment was over, returned to its meals.

Edward nodded in agreement, "We're not even two days into the year, I think it's a record. I wonder what they want this time."

"No doubt we'll find out soon enough... or we could just ask them." Roy grinned as that plan made itself at home in his mind. Unfortunately it was soon to be dislodged

"And how would you go about explaining that to Father, Colonel?" Riza Hawkeye asked calmly, her hair was pulled gently into a clip but somehow it didn't manage to soften the disapproving features of her face. "That would be provocation and that would be prohibited."

"Relax Riza… it's just a little question," Roy responded flippantly, leaning back in his seat. Riza stared at him for moment before she turned away and proceeded to ignore him, "Riza? Riza come on… it's not like a question is going to kill anyone." He argued with a frown.

"It's Lieutenant," Riza informed Roy coldly, still demolishing her apple in small, efficient bites.

There was an awkward shuffling and glances between other members of the group as the two of them glared at each other.

"Hey, anyone for a game of footie?" Havoc eventually interrupted, his grin a little watery. He got a lot of grateful agreements. As they left, Ed glanced back at the table and wondered if the scowling two had even noticed everyone else leave.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"I can't believe you were jealous."

"I just don't want to have to listen to you bragging about your past conquests anymore. You are mine now after all."

"You're surprisingly possessive."

"You say that like you weren't practically snarling at Jensen Adams for talking to me in Chemistry yesterday."

"Hmm... that's true. I guess that makes us a pretty good pair then."

Ed listened to the exchange with shock, his face mimicking the slacked jaw expression of everyone else around him. Havoc's after-school cigarette tumbled to the floor unnoticed as the group of boys gaped at the sight of their colonel and 1st lieutenant necking against the side of Roy's old Ford Mustang.

"Woah..." Breda breathed incredulously.

There was a strang silence as the two finally became aware of their audience. Roy stared at them foggily, a silly smile just visible in the corners of his mouth, whilst Riza, looking quite pleased with herself, wiped delicately her mouth with a thumb.

Finally Ed snickered, "so the great Roy Mustang finally met his match..."

"Yes, he does look a little dazed doesn't he?" Russell added, an evil grin beginning to mar his handsome features.

"Well I suppose his womanising reign had to come to an end eventually," Breda added mock-solemnly.

"It was a good reign wasn't it?" Falman continued, a rare wicked smirk slipping across his face, "it began in middle school you know? And now 6 years and 73 women later it finally comes to an end." At this point Ed took a moment to decide that Falman's memory stretched far across the borders of formidable, deep into the land of just downright scary.

"Just think Havoc- he'll never be able to steal another woman again," Russell remarked slyly. The man, who had been a state of lamentation once again, slowly lifted his eyes to stare at him.

"Oh yes, if he ever tried it with anyone else just think what the Lieutenant would do?" Breda snickered. The group turned their very amused attention to their superior- he did not look impressed.

"Home. Now," Roy barked; his annoyance, however, did nothing to dampen the spirits of his men, who continued to giggle and snicker at his expense.

"Sure, sure," Ed sniggered, "come on guys, let's leave our love-struck colonel to his master." There was another round of snickers and Roy looked ready to start snapping his fingers at Ed's trademark blonde plait, which Al apparently took as the cue to get his brother out of there before he got carried away.

"Come on Ed, I'm hungry."

"And miss this opportunity?" Ed replied with raised eyebrows, "I think not. You're such a party pooper." Suddenly his arm swung out to hook around Al's neck, pulling him down so he could grind his knuckles into the top of his brother's head.

"No! Brother, you're too rough!" Al exclaimed struggling free and ducking behind Russell who started to laugh loudly.

"Oh God, that sounded wrong." He gasped out. The two brothers stopped their antics to stare at him.

"You are so sick Tringham," Ed told him seriously, his face pulled in disgust.

"What's this about Ed being rough?" Breda asked from across the room group, his eyes laughing as much as those around him.

Ed spun round to face them, "You're all sick!" he exclaimed appalled, "I'm leaving and I'm taking my little brother away from you perverts." He stalked away with Al trailing behind him, rolling his eyes.

"Don't be too harsh with him Ed- he's only small!" Russell shouted after him.

"SICK!" Ed's voice echoed back and he seethed the group erupted in laughter behind him. "Seriously, those guys...!"

"You are such a hothead brother," Al informed him and then cut him off before he could argue, "Race you home?"

Ed considered him a moment before shooting down the street, "see ya, sucker!" he turned his head to flash a grin and ran headlong into a man walking round the corner. The two of them crashed to the floor and the man's laptop case flew out his hand and smacked into a lamppost with a sickening crack. The owner stared in dismay.

"Oh crap!" Ed exclaimed, "Sorry, old man. Here, let me fix it for you- I'm an alchemist!" Ed had already clapped his hands together and advanced before his victim could say anything.

The laptop-owner just gawked at the light glowing around his case, still only halfway to realising what had just happened.

"There you go, all sorted." Ed smiled toothily as the light disappeared. He held out his hand to help the man up.

"An alchemist?" a deep voice asked from beside them.

Ed spun to face a tall man with dark skin and a scar crossed beneath his sunglasses, "Yeah, why?" he asked warily.

"Do you know of Zolf J. Kimberley, the Crimson Alchemist?" the stranger asked. He was leaning against the wall somewhat lazily, his hands buried in his pockets, but he still cut an imposing figure.

"The one who was involved with the Ishvalans?" Ed asked. Al came up behind him and looked at the stranger curiously.

"Do you know where he is?" the scarred man continued.

"No. After he killed a civilian he was thrown out. No-one really knows what happened to him after that, although it's been said he joined with the Homunculi. Why, what did you want with him?"

"I want to repay him for something," the man replied darkly, his face turned to stare down the street, though Ed got the feeling that it wasn't bricks and mortar that he was seeing.

Ed frowned and scratched his right shoulder absently, "… right. Well if I hear anything…" he made to move away but hesitated, "wait- what's the name?"

"I don't have one," the stranger answered before he pushed away from the wall and walked back the way the boys had come from. Ed and Al watched him go before looking at each other with identical expressions of confusion.

"Do you reckon he's a little… you know?" Ed circled a finger round his temple and made a face.

"Brother! Don't been mean!" Al replied, he shook his head and tugged at Ed's sleeve "come on; let's go home before Mum worries."

"Yeah, 'kay. Still racing?" Al grinned and set off running. "Oi!" Ed shouted after him before giving chase.

The forgotten laptop-owner stared after them and then back at his bag, before musing aloud, "Who'd have thought little kids could be Alchemists too?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?"

"BROTHER WE HAVE TO GO HOME!"

"NOT TIL I'VE TAUGHT THIS GUY A LESSON!"

"BROTHER!"

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Dante stared down at the corpses strewn across the floor with a heavy disdain. She was middle-aged with short brown hair that curled at the ends. Her face was beautiful; perfect features which she'd spent years schooling into perfect expressions; and she moved with the grace of money.

Stepping over a prone form she glided to the middle of room where on a podium was an uncut ruby. At least it looked like an uncut ruby; it was blood red and it was made up of uneven surfaces and jagged edges.

Dante sighed, "It's still not right," she toned disappointedly.

"No. Was it the transmutation circle?" a man asked from his position by the door.

"No," Dante glanced down at the circular chalk line that surrounded her and the stone. She followed one of the three trails of blood from the circle's outline to where it encircled its owner. The carcasses were connected at the corners of a large, upside-down chalk triangle which was inside an even larger chalk circle.

"Do you want me to take care of the bodies?" The man continued.

"Just get some of the servants in here," she commanded. The man disappeared. "There's still not enough getting through." She muttered to herself. She swiped the small stone off its stand and held it closer for inspection, "the composition's perfect, there's just not enough. The dogs aren't enough," she glared round at the canine forms as though they had insulted her. At that moment the man returned with three men dressed in white shirts. The servants quickly started to remove the bodies from the scene, obviously used to the job.

The man watched Dante as she stepped back quickly, his eyebrow cocked questioningly.

"I think we may have to up our game, Pride" Dante replied.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

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Hope you enjoyed, please review ^_^


	2. Friday

Hmmm, I didn't have much interest in the last chapter so this one comes with added EnvyxEd for your pleasure ^_^ Also this is a much longer chapter- _much _longer.

Disclaimer: Still not mine...

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Chapter 2- Friday

"Class, we have a new student today." Ed's homeroom tutor always spoke as though they were elementary school children, "his name's Ling Yao and I trust you'll all be very kind to him." Ed resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead looked at the newcomer curiously.

He had long black hair tied back in a ponytail and squinting eyes. His black school trousers were made of thin cotton and tightened around his ankle. Over his school shirt he wore a gold jacket with white flames at the end of the sleeves.

"Hi," Ling greeted, his voice was slightly accented, "I'm from Xing," he added proudly.

"Why don't you go and sit next to Edward, Ling-san?" the teacher suggested, pointing out the seat next to the blond, "and he can show you around today." She smiled.

"Oh, midget-san?" Ling asked.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT YOU SQUINTY EYES?" Ed roared indignantly, jumping to his feet.

"HEY I'M SENSITIVE ABOUT THAT!" Ling replied, scowling back.

"THEN DON'T CALL ME SHORT!" Beside Ed, Russell sighed and placed his cheek on a hand, wincing when his fingers brushed over his healing bruise. He watched the teacher start to panic a little.

"Now, now boys, you don't want me to give you a detention so early in the year now, do you?" she asked, her voice rising almost a whole octave. Ed looked towards the woman with tears springing in her eyes and sighed. He flopped back on to his chair and crossed his arms stubbornly. He glared as Ling sat down beside him.

"Ed, don't be childish," Russell chided as he worked on homework which was suppose to be in that day.

"He started it," Ed replied stubbornly.

"That's what I mean."

"But-"

"No Ed."

"You act more like my mum than my mum does," Ed muttered.

"Well, stop acting like a 5-year-old then," Russell returned calmly. Ed gave him a look halfway between a pout and a glare.

"Excuse me, what do we have next?" Ling asked Russell, looking straight past Ed.

"Chemistry," Russell replied, "I think we're doing an experiment."

"What? I don't remember that!" Ed exclaimed, "No, I don't wanna!"

"You're reverting again Ed," Russell informed him.

"What's wrong with experiments?" Ling inquired.

"It's done in alphabetical pairs." Russell replied, "and Ed always gets put with Envy."

"Because there's no one in the whole class with a surname between Elric and Homunculus." Ed lamented, dropping his head to the table. He glared at Ling from the corner of his eye, "What kind of name is Yao?"

The two ignored his venom-dripping question and continued to talk over his head, "Envy's the one in the back, right corner with the crazy green-black hair." Russell said.

"Is he actually allowed hair like that?" Ling asked.

"This school's pretty relaxed about things like that," Russell replied with a shrug, "so you'll probably be able to get away with your trousers." He added as an afterthought.

"Hey, what's wrong with my trousers?"

"They're weird," Ed deadpanned from the desk, "even Envy… no I take that back."

"Why, what does Envy wear?"

"A skirt." Ed responded blankly.

"A skirt?"

"A skort." Russell corrected cheerfully.

"How does that make it any better?" Ed asked, shifting his eyes to glare at Russell instead.

"A skort?" Ling asked.

"And a cropped top," Russell added.

Ling blinked, "is he gay?

Ed almost fell out of his chair laughing, "Probably," he gasped.

Russell rolled his eyes, "hey, bells about to g-" he was cut off by a shrill ring.

"That was scarily accurate," Ed told him once it'd finished.

"Thank you" Russell replied smugly.

"What are you getting so happy about? It wasn't a compliment." Ed grumbled with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing. But Miss Higgins is he-" Russell's sentence was interrupted again, this time by the teacher striding through the door.

"Seriously- stop it," Ed replied, finally lifting his head off the desk. Russell just laughed.

"Right class- experiment today! Everybody down to the lab!" Ed groaned but joined everyone as they grabbed their bags and started to file out of the classroom.

"Edward-san, where's the lab?" Ling asked with one of his close-eyed grins.

"Open your eyes before you walk into a wall," Ed replied grumpily.

"Hey! That's cruel!" Ling exclaimed, mock-wounded.

"So?"

"Don't mind him," Russell said with a smile," he's just sour because he has to work with Envy."

"Why does he dislike him so much?"

"I don't dislike him," Ed interrupted, "I loathe him."

"Let's just say they're on opposite sides."

"Opposite sides?" Ling frowned in confusion but then he seemed to figure something out, "wait- are you part of the Amestris gangs?" Ling asked in surprise.

"Err- well, it's not that we wanted to be a gang…" Russell rubbed the back of his head.

"You were forced into a gang?" Ling's eyes were wide for once and he looked somewhat excited.

"No," Russell replied," it's…err… a little more complicated than that. You see our gang wasn't actually a gang at first. It was kind of forced into that status by the opposition."

Ling frowned again, "so what are you then?"

"We're alchemists!" Ed proclaimed proudly.

"Really?" Ling started to grin," now that's interesting…"

"This one kids!" Miss Higgins shouted from the top and pointed the class into Laboratory 4. "Pair up!" Ed groaned again and Russell gave him a sympathetic look.

"It's only an hour, Ed," he tried.

"Why don't you try it?" Ed glared before shuffling away.

"A new student!" Russell looked up at the teacher's shout. "Well you can go with Russell since his partner's never here."

"I'm right here!"

Miss Higgins stared at Russell's partner with some shock before shaking her head, "I hate the first week of school- I'm already suffering from illusions," she muttered to herself as she plodded over to the front desk.

"Wha- but…" he was ignored.

On the other side of the room Ed had finally finished his slow march over to his partner.

"Edo-kun," Envy purred, "I know your legs are small, but next time could you try and speed up a bit?" he asked disdainfully. Ed gritted his teeth and reminded himself how dull detentions were.

"Whatever palm-tree, are we doing this or what?"

"Be my guest, you're the alchemy genius after all. This should be a breeze for you." Envy replied airily.

"Is total bastard written into your genetic code?"

"No but I heard it was into yours. Terrible of your father to just up and leave like that wasn't it?" Ed didn't reply to that, but his face darkened and he turned away from the Homunculus. There was silence as Ed arranged the apparatus for the experiment, "You know, silence doesn't suit you, Edo."

"What do you know of Zolf Kimberley, the Crimson Alchemist?" Ed asked; his tone clipped.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Call it curiosity," Ed replied harshly.

"He works at the Devil's Nest," Envy answered, coming up next to the other and fixing the tubing that had just falling apart. Ed looked up at him in surprise, "if you wanna kill him be my guest. I don't like him."

"Why is he prettier than you are something?" Ed asked.

"Are you looking for a fight?" Envy growled; his voice dropping low.

"Bring it," Ed growled back and the two glared at each other.

"Is there a problem, boys?" the teacher asked, materialising beside them and leaning over intimidatingly.

"No," the two muttered in unison and returned to their work.

As soon as the teacher had left Envy turned his head to hiss, "After school- the old warehouse on Gaol Street."

"You're on." Ed growled back.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"This is the dinner hall," Ed declared with a sweeping gesture, "we sit over there." He pointed to the far right table.

"And Envy sits over there?" Ling asked, pointing out the green-haired teen.

"Yeah, with the rest of the Homunculi."

"So who sits in the middle?" Ling asked humorously.

"The Chimera." Ed started to walk towards the table.

Ling blinked, "really? And all three of you are against each other?"

"No," Russell replied, "the Chimera are on the side of the Homunculi."

"Doesn't that give them something of an unfair advantage?"

"Not really. The Alchemists are a very large group and the Homunculi are just members of the Homunculus family."

"Oh…"

"Brother!" Ling spun to see a little girl running towards him.

"Sister!" He held his arms out for her to run into. The students of Central High's dining hall eyed them distrustfully.

"I've had a great a day! First we had English and then History and we had Maths with a really bald guy and then we had Social Science!" The girl rattled, "and I've made friends already, and there's some really cute boys in my class!" She glowed.

"That's great Mei," Ling smiled, "I made friends too, this is Edward-san and Russell-san," Mei stared up at Russell with a mouth open in awe.

"You're cute!" She breathed.

"Err..." Russell blushed and looked at Ling for help.

"Mei, don't scare away my friends," Ling pouted.

"I wasn't!" Mei replied, also pouting, "I was being nice."

Ed edged away from the pouting siblings and took his customary seat next to Al.

"Hey is that kid in your class?"

"Yeah, Mei Chan," Al replied.

"Chan?" Ed replied with a frown.

"Yeah, why?"

"Isn't that little close for a girl you've only just met… do you have a crush?" Ed asked with a teasing grin.

"No!" Al replied with a blush, "that's her last name!"

"Her last name? But Ling's is Yao," Ed frowned again.

"We have different mothers." Ling replied from beside him. Ed jumped about a foot in the air.

"When did you get there?" he exclaimed.

"When you sat down," Ling replied innocently before pulling food packages from his bag.

Ed watched the growing pile with some wariness, "well, I guess that's why you didn't have a pencil…" he noted absently. The stack didn't finish, "really, how much do you need?"

"I'm a growing boy," Ling whined defensively.

"You could feed the whole table with that!"

"Well I forget to eat sometimes…"

"Right…" Ed looked unconvinced.

"What happened to Mei?" Al asked politely.

"Oh she went back to her new friends. Apparently they're going to do homework now so they don't have to do it after school."

"Oh yeah," Ed looked towards his brother, "I'll be late home tonight Al. I've got to go to the library."

"Oh, okay. Remember mum's going out tonight."

"Oh that's right, she goes out with her friends on Friday's doesn't she," Ed smiled, "don't worry, I'll be home."

"Try to be back by half-five; I know what you're like once you start studying." Al added.

"Yeah," Ed laughed and rubbed the back of his head. He looked across the room and locked eyes with Envy.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"You came," Envy said as Ed walked into the warehouse.

"I keep my word," Ed bristled.

"How very gentlemanly of you," Envy replied sarcastically. He slid off his seat of a small pile of boxes and sauntered over to the blond. "Won't you get in trouble over this? I understand unauthorised fights are strictly prohibited in your little club."

Ed sneered and drew up his fists, "Trust me, for the pleasure of beating the snot out of you, it's a price I'm more than willing to pay."

"Such arrogance… especially for someone of your stature…" Envy goaded as he slipped into a loose stance.

Ed threw a punch at his gut but Envy spun out of the way and slammed a fist into the back of Ed's head. Ed dropped to his knees woozily, but managed to roll away before Envy could connect another blow and climbed slowly back onto his feet. The two circled each other.

Envy jabbed a test shot at Ed's chest but his fist was caught in crushing grip and his arm twisted. Rather than fight the move Envy moved with it. He spun beneath Ed's arm, dragging it behind the boy and crushing it against Ed's back with his own body weight. Ed flung his head back into Envy's chin and took advantage of the loosening grip to free himself.

He aimed a round-about punch to Envy's face but the Homunculus jumped out of range. "You should know pulling this arm back doesn't really hurt all that much," Ed reminded his rival, carelessly rolling his right shoulder.

"Ah, the beauty of automail," Envy sneered, "maybe you should get the other one done then- I'd be more than happy to rip off the original!" Envy growled savagely and twisted a long leg towards Ed's head. Ed blocked it with his forearm and swiped his own leg at Envy's balancing one.

Envy wavered but slammed his other foot to the floor to regain his stability. He smirked. "You know, your kicks really aren't all that strong- maybe you should get your legs automailed too."

Ed snarled and grabbed Envy by the left wrist. He dragged the teen forwards, tucked a foot behind his knee and stomped Envy's calf to the ground. Envy fell with a harsh cry but retaliated with a smash of his head into Ed's unprotected stomach. Ed bent double, reflexively pressing his hands to the abused area and leaving himself wide open.

Envy took advantage of this brief pause to climb back on to his feet.

As soon as the Homunculus was up Ed was charging forward again, his fist raised and Envy barely managed to evade what would have been a stunning blow to his left cheek by darting to the side and banging his hip painfully against a brick wall. Ed came at him again, this time aiming for his stomach, and Envy was forced to swing round into the wall to avoid it, his back slamming against the unyielding stone.

Envy snarled and lunged forward to grab Ed's retreating arm. He jerked the blond forwards, yanking him into a clenched fist which landed neatly in his diaphragm. Ed curled round the blow, smacking his head on Envy's shoulder and choking on the breath forced out of his body.

"Bastard," he wheezed, not bothering to remove his head from its resting place. He curled his metal hand and shoved it as deep into Envy's gut as he gave a strangled gasp and dug his nails into the wrist he'd caught. The two panted, desperately trying to get their breath back, and sweat coated their bodies, sticking their clothes to their skin.

"Asshole..." Envy finally rasped back, "Get the fuck off me."

"You're the one holding on to my arm," Ed hissed lifting his head off Envy's shoulder, "You get off me!"

"What, so you can punch me again?" Envy snarled in reply. He turned to face his opponent and the sensitive ridge of his top lip grazed across Ed's nose.

The contact sent a jolt through his system and Envy suddenly dropped the arm like it had seared through his flesh. Ed stared at him in surprise but instead of doing something that made sense, like moving away, he just stood their as if he was frozen in place. His breath was warm against Envy's lower lip, and his eyes flickered to the mouth inches away from his own.

Envy curled his lips into a snarl and smashed their foreheads together; he pushed the smaller boy away and punched him in the cheek before re-capturing Ed's flesh arm. The next thing he knew he'd slammed Ed against the wall and crushed pale lips beneath his own, trapping miscellaneous strands of green and blond hair between them. Ed's golden eyes were wide with shock and Envy knew exactly how he felt.

He wrenched himself away and pushed Ed's shoulders into the brick behind him, holding him at arm's length to maintain distance as he tried to figure out what the hell had just possessed him to do something so stupid. Ed sneered. His lips were bruised red. Envy jerked back and tried to run for the door but a cold, uncompromising hand was curled bruisingly around his wrist, dragging him back.

"Don't run from something you started," the hand's owner snarled. Ed buried his hands in tangled locks and yanked the other down to meet his mouth viciously; he pressed his body flat against Envy's frame and bit aggressively at his rival's bottom lip. Envy growled and rammed him back into the wall, kissing him hard enough to make their teeth clack together. His head was shoved into a better angle and a tongue was forced inside his mouth as Ed's fingertips pressed into Envy's scalp harshly. Metal nubs and keratin nails made Envy hiss and curl his fingers into Ed's flesh arm cruelly.

Ed inhaled sharply around Envy's grasping mouth and then cracked a fist into his cheekbone. Envy's head flew sideways and he was pushed violently away. Ed collapsed against his wall and panted harshly as he glared at his rival. His lips shimmered with Envy's spit and Envy couldn't keep his eyes off their obscene slash of red against Ed's flushed skin.

The Homunculus did the only thing he could think of: he ran.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"That bastard! That fucking bastard!" Ed snarled, his hands clenched at his sides as he stormed down the street, "what the hell was he thinking?" He continued, shaking his head violently, "he fucking…and then he…and I… fuck! What was _I_ thinking?" he wailed. He stopped mid-stride and dug his fists into his eyes, "WHAT THE HELL?" he roared, spinning to the side and crashing his automail fist into the near-by wall.

"Kid." Ed jumped at the deep rumbling voice.

"What!" Ed exclaimed; his frustration forcing itself into the single syllable explosively. He did not like the fact that he'd been snuck up on, he did not like the fact that he'd been bothered when he could _clearly_ do without, and he really did not like the fact that no matter how many times he'd spat he still couldn't rid his mouth of the taste of Envy.

"I want you to leave," the stranger replied bluntly and Ed gaped at him speechlessly, his pulsing anger was stopped in its tracks. "…silence is acceptable." The scarred man compromised, leaning on the wall opposite the small alchemist and turning his head to the clouds.

Ed continued to gape at his enigmatic companion for several seconds as he scoured his brain for an apposite response. Finally his mind latched onto something that wasn't Envy and he blurted it out, "I found Kimberley."

The scarred man's attention snapped back to him, "where?"

"A bar called the Devil's Nest- it's run b- hey where you are you going?" Ed exclaimed moving away from his wall to stare at the back of the retreating man.

"The Devil's Nest," Scar replied, jerking his hand above his head as a term of parting.

"Hey! You can't just wander in there! It's a Homunculus club; that means Homunculi and Chimera only!" Scar continued to ignore him so Ed ran after him. His bruised knees protested but Ed ignored them, "They won't hesitate to rip you to shreds!" he added warningly.

"They won't be able to," Scar replied, not taking his eyes off the path in front of him.

"Don't be so big-headed!" Ed argued, waving his arms comically. His ire was not helped by the fact that he had to take two jogging steps to keep up with the man's long strides.

"It's you who should be worried- we're almost there and I don't know how tolerant Homunculi are of Alchemists on their territory but I doubt it's very high." Ed stared at him in awe.

"That is the longest sentence I have ever heard you say," he replied seriously. Scar spared him a withering glare.

"We're here."

"Huh? Wha-?" Ed's head spun away from the stranger and darted around his surroundings. They had come out of a side alley into another alley, only this one was bigger and was occupied by six Chimeras. Over their heads he could just about see a sign reading 'The Devil's Nest' in black, bold lines. The Chimeras were staring at them suspiciously and flexing their muscles meaningfully, "…oh fuck…" Ed found the words summed up his feelings on the situation quite well.

"I want to see Zolf Kimberley, the Crimson Alchemist, bring him out," Scar commanded the six 'bouncers'.

Ed blanched, "are you trying to get us killed?" he asked exasperatedly.

"This is not your fight kid. I can handle this on my own."

"No, I was the idiot who blurted out where he is. If you get yourself killed it'll be my fault." Ed replied resolutely. He turned away from his companion to the Chimeras who seemed to have only gotten more annoyed with every passing moment.

Scar stared at the determined boy for a second before looking away, "I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me."

Ed snorted, "You're not that important to me," he informed the stranger, "so I guess we're gonna do this then?"

"Oi! Are you two lovebirds done?" One of the chimera goaded, "can we pummel the shit out of you now?" Scar and Ed looked each other and Scar nodded his acquiescence. The two shot forward.

Five minutes later Ed looked round at the littered floor, "you know, I underestimated you Scar," he admitted.

"Scar?" Scar blinked.

"Well I've gotta call you something haven't I? So why not Scar?"

"Call me what you like," Scar eventually replied, he turned to the entrance of the bar and started to walk towards it.

"Scar?" the man paused, "why are you looking for Kimberley?" Ed asked seriously. He half-expected a dramatic breeze to come whistling through the alley way at his words.

"Why should I tell you?" Scar replied quietly.

"Oh come on, I told you where to find him, the least you can do it is tell me why." Ed responded exasperatedly. Scar slowly turned to face him and Ed could almost see his mind weighing the pros and cons.

"…the innocent that Kimberley killed was my brother." He finally stated, "I've come to make him repay that debt with his own life."

"Revenge?" Ed retorted, hardly surprised.

"Justice," Scar hissed righteously, "an eye for an eye."

"If the world was like that we'd all be blind." Ed replied bitterly

"My, my, my, it _is_ noisy out here isn't it?" someone purred from the entrance. Ed spun round sharply.

"Lust!"

"Edward, what are you doing here?" her voice seemed light but Ed didn't miss the threatening undertone.

"It's his fault, I tried to stop him," Ed replied, pointing at his companion.

Scar fixed him with a quick glare before looking back at the newcomer, "I'm here for the Crimson Alchemist," he said gruffly.

"Well he's not here," Lust replied flippantly, shaking her fringe away from her eyes.

"I don't believe you."

"Not my problem, he's not here," she repeated, "come back next week."

"I want to see him today."

"Well, then go and find him." Lust looked a second away from gritting her teeth

"I already have," Scar glared, gesturing his head to the tunnel behind her.

"What part of he's not here do you not understand you imbecile?" Lust replied, her voice turning as harsh as her eyes. It was the first time Ed had seen her lose so much of her calm.

"Maybe she's right Scar. We can always come back tomorrow," Ed proposed.

"I don't want to fight him tomorrow, I want to fight him now," Scar growled back.

"Just how old are you?" Lust interjected sharply, "He's not here, get over it."

"Why should I believe you?" Scar rejoined harshly.

"Oh for- Fine!" she started to walk away; "if you don't believe me come and see for yourself!" she called back with an uncaring wave of her hand. Scar followed after her, his eyes darting round suspiciously. Ed hovered for a second staring into the passageway before throwing his arms in the air and hurrying after them.

"That guy really is trying to kill us," he muttered to himself irritably.

Lust lead them to a dimly lit room where Frank Sinatra crooned to the occupants. The room was decorated in wood, dark red leather and scantily-dressed women. A bar covered the whole left wall, looking something like a prop from a Western movie complete with a large imposing man drying pint glasses. The rest of the room was littered with round, high table stands, square coffee tables and dark red leather seats.

Lust sashayed over to the middle sofa where sat the most arrogant-looking of all the conceited men of the bar. He was surrounded by half a dozen girls who were draped over the man, chair-arms and coffee table in various states of drunkenness.

"They're looking for Kimberley," Lust murmured to the man.

"So tell them he's not here," he looked annoyed to be interrupted.

"What do you think I told them?" Lust replied, looking equally annoyed, "they didn't believe me so I told them they could look for themselves, "she finished haughtily.

The man's face transformed into an amused grin, showing a set of maliciously pointed teeth, before he barked a harsh, biting laugh which ended just as abruptly as it had started.

"Sure let them look, they won't find him or anything of interest here," Mr Pointy told Lust humorously, "but you can make sure they don't get lost."

Lust frowned "make someone else go," she told him irately.

"You invited them sweetheart," he told her flippantly. Lust's lip curled unhappily and Ed found himself reminded of the snarl Envy had given just before-

Ed quickly destroyed that line of thought.

"Fine," Lust snapped, bringing Ed's attention back to her. She stalked to a door reading 'Authorised Personnel Only', her hips swaying violently. Ed fancied he could see a tail twitching angrily behind her.

Scar wasted no time in following her, but Ed doubted that it was conviction so much as pride which drove the man now. Ed hurried after them, not wanting to be here any longer than necessary, but was stopped by Mr Pointy on the couch.

"Wait," Scar and Ed halted but Lust ignored him, "leave the Pipsqueak." Ed saw red.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?" he roared leaping round at the man. He didn't get very far however, as two strong arms grabbed him round the middle and refused to let go. Ed whipped his head round to see a black-haired man with pointed features grinning down at him cockily- Ed decided that arrogance was in the beer.

"Now, now, Greed-sama has been perfectly civil, kid. I'd suggest you don't upset him," his captor warned with a dangerous smile.

"Greed…? You're Lust's brother?" Ed asked in surprise.

Greed laughed again, "Whatever gave you that impression?" he asked with a sharp grin, "You should know Blondie- no one in that family is related."

Edward frowned with confusion, the expression pulling at the bruise that was slowly forming on his forehead- another unwanted reminder of Envy. Ed forced his thoughts back to the matter at hand and answered hesitantly, "so… you're all… adopted?"

"You catch on quick shortie," Greed said with a somewhat mocking wink.

"I AM NOT SHORT!" Ed reacted instantly, flailing in the hold of his assailant.

Greed laughed, clearly enjoying himself, "You're feisty too- I like it. Dorochet put him on the table, I've got something I wanna ask Blondie here," Greed ordered with an absent hand gesture.

Ed felt himself being lifted off the ground and heaved over to the coffee table in front of his antagonist. He was placed firmly between two drunken girls who immediately latched onto him, cooing about how sweet/cute he was and exclaiming how they wished they had hair like his. Ed flushed and turned to Scar for help only to find that he'd already left.

Greed laughed again at the boy's predicament, "Would you like a drink Blondie?" he asked, point towards the bar.

"I'm underage," Ed replied stiffly.

"Your loss," Greed shrugged.

"What do you want?" Ed pressed suspiciously.

"Well first things first, want to tell me why there's an alchemist in my bar?"

Ed froze, "what?"

"Don't try to play innocent, Edward Elric. I've heard all about you." Greed told him with a pointed smile.

"I'm with Scar," Ed answered, his voice even stiffer as he eyed the man in front of him warily.

"Right and why's that? What's your interest in Kimberley?"

"I'm not looking to re-recruit him if that's what you're getting at." Ed informed him, "I don't have any interest in him at all- I'm just trying to stop Scar from getting himself killed. He wants to take revenge on Kimberley for killing his brother." Ed forced himself to relax and use a nonchalant tone.

"Is that right?" Greed's eyebrows twitched with minor interest before his face smoothed again, "well fair enough. Now, to more important business- you're an actual alchemist so you're bound to have some contacts with the higher-ups in your gang right?"

Ed turned his head to gaze at the man distrustfully, "so?" he asked warily.

Greed grinned and reclined further, "Well I've heard you alchemists like to experiment and I happened to come across some of the elements you're so fond of in a poker game. I was wondering if you wanted them back." He gave Ed a look of false innocence.

Ed's eyes narrowed, "for a price I guess."

"But of course," Greed replied spreading his hands out. He gave a winning smile and took a sip of red wine from the glass of one of the girls next to him. The intoxicated girl giggled and splayed a hand across his chest.

Ed watched disdainfully as she inched herself closer to the rich man's lap, "So you want to sell on something you didn't have to pay anything to get?" Ed clarified, he got the feeling he wasn't getting the whole story.

"Heed the name Blondie, its mine for a reason," Greed smirked before pulling the girl completely into his lap. The girl on his other side whined unhappily so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "so would you be interested or not?"

"What have you got?" Ed countered cautiously.

Greed gave another barking laugh and fixed Ed with an amused look, "Do you think I know Blondie? Why don't you come and have a look?"

Ed glared at him guardedly, "…just you and me?"

"Yeah, sure Blondie," Greed acquiesced with nonchalant wave.

"Greed-sama-!" a woman exclaimed, stepping forward. She wore a tank top tucked into a pair of army combats and a pair of sturdy boots; her only decoration was the dog tag that glinted round her neck and the tattoo that ran from her shoulder to her cheek. Ed found he had the same feeling about her as he did Winry with a wrench.

"Don't worry Martel, I can handle myself. Besides, it's just business, right Blondie?" Ed nodded flatly, "See? Nothing to worry about." He flashed the girl a smile before looking back to the women surrounding him, "I'm sorry girls- business calls." He apologised, firmly dislodging the one in his lap. The group made various sounds of disappointment.

"You'll come back though right?" one simpered.

"Of course! I couldn't leave you darling girls alone for too long," he smiled lecherously and Ed resisted the urge to gag.

Greed pushed himself from the sofa and stepped away to let Ed follow him. Happy to be free from his female-shaped chains Ed jumped after him. They exited the room through the same door Lust and Scar had disappeared through earlier.

"…not my fault you didn't believe me!" Ed heard as soon as the door opened. Greed grinned brightly and dragged the younger boy to hide round a corner.

"Like I could I trust the word of a Homunculus, especially one such as yourself!" A deeper voice answered. Ed found himself mentally lowering Scar's estimated age.

"And just what is that suppose to mean?" Lust asked, affronted.

"What do you think? You show off parts of your body that no man but your husband should see!"

"You're the one who can't stop looking!"

"I would never do anything so sinful!"

"So what were you doing then? Admiring the stitch of my dress?"

"I was praying to God to forgive you promiscuity!"

Greed glanced round at Ed, "I think its true love," he snickered, "I've never seen Lust get so worked up over anyone before."

"…just go? You've seen he's not here so get out!"

"I am! Another moment with you and I think you'll burst my eardrums!" Greed sniggered again before turning on his heel and whistled his way down the corridor leaving Ed to hurry after him.

"Sometimes I think Cupid really does have the cruellest sense of humour."

"You really think they like each other?" Ed asked uncertainly.

"Well they do say that there's a fine line between love and hate," Greed replied jovially. Ed refused to relate the proverb to his situation with Envy. "Here we are," Greed came to a stop in front of a wooden door and pulled a set of keys from his trouser pocket. He made short work of the lock and pushed the heavy door open.

Ed gaped, "Wha…? Bu…" he blinked and his eyes narrowed, "a poker game?" he asked, his gaze sliding back to the bar owner.

"It may have been a few poker games," Greed replied smugly.

"Is that how it is…?" Ed pursed his lips thoughtfully before nodding, "I see. So what made you decide to sell on?" he asked, looking back at the room's contents pseudo-casually.

"It was an opportunity that the businessman in me couldn't resist." Greed replied with a grin, he reached inside the room, picking up a letter from a table by the door, "this is for your superior- a token of peace if you will. If it is not satisfactory then I'm sure we can negotiate some arrangements."

Ed plucked the letter from the outstretched hand but frowned, "I can't promise anything."

"That's fine Blondie- just make sure you deliver. I expect an answer within a week, yes or no, or I won't be a happy man." The malice promised in Greed's smile reminded Ed that, for all that he appeared, this was a very dangerous man.

"Right," Ed nodded sharply, slipping the letter into a pocket.

"Excellent," Greed grinned and patted him on the head, "come on Blondie- I think its time for you to leave now don't you?"

Outside the Chimera guards were still unconscious and Scar was not to be seen, unsurprised at the latter and wary of the time-length of the first, Ed started home.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Brother, where have you been?" Al exclaimed from the couch as he walked through the door, "the library closed almost an hour ago!"

"I was walking home and I met that Scar guy." Ed replied tiredly. He traipsed over to the couch and flopped down beside his younger brother.

"And?" Al inquired impatiently.

"And what?" Ed responded indifferently.

"What happened?" Al replied with annoyance, "don't you dare say nothing because I can see the bruise on your forehead quite easily thank you very much." Al crossed his arms and looked exactly like a nagging wife. Ed had lost count how many times he'd cursed Envy's name so far that day.

"It's a long story," Ed sighed, "I'll tell you later." He yawned and stretched his arms above his head before moving to sprawl across the couch, his head in Al's lap and his shins dangling over the edge. He yawned again.

"Hey don't fall asleep on me!" Al exclaimed, unfolding his arms to push at his brother's shoulders. Ed ignored him and closed his eyes with a smirk. "Fine!" Al continued, he heaved and stood at the same time, sending Ed toppling to the floor.

"Hey!" Ed yelped, "What was that for?" he shouted from his new position.

"I am not a pillow," Al huffed, re-crossing his arms.

"But I'm tired," Ed pouted unhappily, "You're a cruel brother."

"I am not!" Al argued, "You drool!"

"No I don't!" Ed retorted and pushed himself up onto his feet.

"How would you know? You're asleep!" Al gestured exasperatedly.

"What are you two quarrelling about now?" An amused voice asked from the doorway. The two boys looked away from their argument to the woman fixing a pair of earrings in place.

"Nothing," the two chorused embarrassedly.

"Right," Trisha chuckled, "I'm going out a little earlier tonight boys. I've already told Pinako and she's waiting for you- you can get to Pinako's by yourselves right?"

"Of course," Ed replied indignantly, "we're not little kids anymore." He huffed, copying Al's crossed arms.

"You'll always be my little boys." Trisha told them with a smile. She walked up beside them and ruffled their hair affectionately before swooping down to kiss their cheeks, "I'll see you later." She told them cheerfully as they each rubbed at the kiss marks feverously. She left the house laughing.

Finally dropping his hand from his face, Ed turned to his brother, "we best go." He stated with a frown, "Otherwise Pinako will make us clean the surgery room again." The boys shuddered at the memory.

"You promised to tell me what happened on the way, remember." Al reminded him as he left to get his coat.

Ed rolled his eyes, already thinking up ways to carefully omit Envy completely from the conversation, "Yeah, yeah," he called before trailing after him.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Envy stood in his bedroom, staring at the bright orange lamp illuminating the street below. If he squinted his eyes just right he could send lances of light bolting through the air in all directions. It was a childish habit.

The skin surrounding his mouth glowed a raw pink and his lips were the kind of cherry red you associate with Coca Cola. His hair dripped methodically on to a green carpet and for once didn't spring around his head.

Thoughts and images flitted through his mind like dreams and one memory was making itself very much known despite Envy's best efforts.

His lips had been rough- dry, chapped and cold. His tongue had been invasive and the thought of it pressing against the roof of his mouth made Envy want to vomit. His hands had been unforgiving and demanding and Envy had washed his hair twice but it still felt dirty.

At least, that's what he told himself when the thoughts came unbidden to his mind.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Hohenheim looked up sharply at the sound of footsteps but relaxed when their owner appeared in the doorframe of his modest study. "Trisha! You're early!" he exclaimed in surprise. Trisha smiled and continued into the room to his desk.

"I missed you," she replied plainly, "It's okay for a wife to miss her husband when she hasn't seen him for a week right?"

"B…but…" he stuttered.

"Yes dear?" Trisha smiled sweetly and perched on the edge of his desk. She placed a hand firmly in the middle of the text he'd been reading and tilted her body towards him.

"Why didn't I find a nice docile wife who would stay safely at home until I returned?" he asked rhetorically.

"Well you told me where you were going." Trisha replied flippantly.

"That's because you threatened me with a rolling pin you crazy woman!" Hohenheim exclaimed.

"Well, what did you expect when you said you 'had to go'?"

"For you to respect my wishes and stay at home where it was safe," Hohenheim pouted.

"I thought you taught me self-defence for a reason," Trisha countered, turning away from him, pressing both hands to the edge of the desk and swinging her feet lightly. She glanced at her husband over her shoulder.

Hohenheim stared at her with some exasperation before a smile began to tug at his lips, "are you sure you can still use it?" he asked, his tone low and humorous.

"Of course," Trisha matched indignantly. Hohenheim considered her for a second before shooting his hands out. Trisha hopped neatly off the desk and out of reach. She smirked.

"Fine, fine! He conceded grudgingly. Trisha laughed and he smiled wistfully, "I missed your laugh." He told her, getting up and moving round the desk. "dinner's not done yet."

"That's ok. I don't come for dinner." Hohenheim smiled before catching the bandaged hand on her left.

"What's that?" he asked, pulling the hand towards him.

Trisha winced, "it's nothing," she replied, "I just cut my hand when I was cooking yesterday."

Hohenheim frowned, "You should be more careful. Here, I'll fix it for you." He let the hand drop and clapped his own together.

"Oh stop, I'll not die from a scratch," Trisha chuckled. She wrapped her arm around his and looked at him expectantly, "I believe you were taking me somewhere?"

Hohenheim let his burrowed brows relax grudgingly and allowed her to pull him towards the living room. "So, how are the boys?" he asked.

"They're fine- but they're getting into fights." Trisha gave him a meaningful glance. "Ed managed to get into two in the first week of school! I'm worried about them." She added unhappily.

"They're growing up Trish- it's what young men do. They're just testing they're strength against the world."

Trisha frowned, "aren't there safer ways to do that?" she sighed.

Hohenheim laughed, "Do you think they'd take them? At least where they are there are rules."

"A dojo has rules," Trisha muttered petulantly. The two of them walked through into what had been the lounge; now it was an explosion of paper, books and pens. "What happened in here?" Trisha asked incredulously.

"Ahh… erm… well it was a theory on… erm….doesn't matter…" Hohenheim rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly.

"Sometimes I'm glad you don't live with us anymore." Trisha informed him.

"Sorry- I can…erm…" he began to shuffle the papers covering the couch into haphazard piles.

Trisha just laughed at him, "come here." She told him.

Hohenheim looked up at her in confusion, "but…"

"Come here," she repeated. Hohenheim dropped the papers reluctantly and shuffled over to her, "you never change," she laughed, cupping his cheeks between her hands and straining up on her tiptoes to peck him on the nose. "Silly old man."

"Hey, I'm only 42!" he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I'm in the prime of my youth."

"Is that right?" Trisha asked in amusement, "Well then why don't we put dinner on a slow-heat and eat later?"

Hohenheim frowned for a moment before his eyes grew wide and a large grin painted itself across his face, "Right!" he exclaimed before all but running out of the room.

Trisha watched him go, wondering if he would ever grow up- and if she ever wanted him to.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Don't worry about the boys," Hohenheim whispered, holding his wife closer and pressing a kiss to her hair, "they can look after themselves- I made sure of that."

"I suppose Izumi was a good choice for a teacher, "Trisha admitted, "even if she did want to stick them on an island for a month." Trisha glared into the distance at the memory.

"She _is_ a bit unorthodox," Hohenheim chuckled, "but she's good."

Trisha hummed and shifted to a more comfortable position, "…I was so scared that day." She replied quietly.

"Izumi's not that bad," Hohenheim frowned with confusion.

"Not that day!" Trisha exclaimed, twisting to scowl up at her husband.

"Oh… I see." Hohenheim turned sombre and gazed down sadly at his wife, "sorry."

Trisha huffed and returned to her original position. There was silence between them for a few long minutes before she replied, "…when Al came in with his brother cradled in his arms I didn't know what to think- I didn't even know Al was that strong," she gave a small humourless laugh, "and then I saw the blood staining his shirt and God…" she buried her face in her husband chest, "his whole arm- gone-" the words might have been muffled, but the tears pressing against his chest were crystal clear to her husband. He gathered her closer in his arms and stroked her hair soothingly.

"I know, I know. But he's ok now- he's got a strong will. Just look how he reacted to my card after the automail surgery." Hohenheim told her, jostling her gently. Trisha laughed weakly.

"Yeah, he threw a fit… especially when he read the bit about you paying for it." Trisha replied softly.

Hohenheim chuckled, "didn't he want to join the Alchemists to pay off the debt?"

"Yeah," Trisha wiped at her eyes and smiled faintly, "it was alchemy that saved them you know." She added quietly.

"It was?" Hohenheim asked in surprise, "but Izumi only began to teach them after…"

"They taught themselves- using your books." Trisha replied proudly. Hohenheim stared down at her for a moment before laughing.

"You never told me."

"I know- I… I guess I wanted them to tell you when you came home but…"

"You don't know how long I'll have to stay away," Hohenheim completed with a sigh. Trisha nodded, "I don't know how long I'll have to stay away either." Hohenheim sighed and smiled sadly, "why is it whenever we talk these days it always turns out so serious?"

"I don't know." Trisha whispered back before the two of them slipped into silence, listening to the occasional hum of a car as it drove by.

"…I think dinner may have burned," Hohenheim finally broke the quiet.

Trisha smiled a feeble smile against his chest, "maybe we should have take-out then." She replied.

"Sounds nice," Hohenheim said softly.

Neither moved for some time.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

* * *

Ah the cliche Hohenheim/Trisha TT_TT I just couldn't think of any other way to write them!


	3. Saturday

Sorry it's taken so long! I'm afraid the next one will take a while too because those wonderful things we like to call exams are pounding down at my door DX and won't be over until the end of June!! I will try to update before then but until that time please take this offering...

Warning: there are the beginnings of AlxWrath in this chapter- but don't worry because there is even more EnvyEd to enjoy as well ^_^

Disclaimer: I appealed the copyright conviction but they're adamant that just owning the books does _not _make me the owner of the whole series. Peh, what do they know?

* * *

Chapter 3- Saturday

Ed and Al walked along a nondescript city street where old, stone buildings reached five stories high on either side. The road was already heavy with traffic, even at ten o'clock on a Saturday morning, and pavements bustled with pedestrians visiting the rundown shops that lined the edges.

Ed and Al came to stop in front of one of those non-descript buildings, except instead of a shop at the bottom this one housed a club. Across the top of the doorway dull tubing twisted into a curving font which read 'Chemistry'. If it had been night it would have been glowing a bright, neon blue. Just inside a tall man sitting on an old chair and holding a newspaper watched at them patiently. Ed pulled a silver stopwatch from his pocket and the tall man nodded the two of them inside.

They walked down a long, dark corridor into a brightly light room with laminate flooring. Ed led the way to the bar and ducked beneath a hatch in its surface before slipping through a wooden door.

Behind the door was a completely differently setting, a corridor lit dimly with small lights fixed to the wall inside what had once been gas lamp coverings. The passage was painted a neutral cream colour, with a green leaf-patterned room border running along the ceiling edge, and was carpeted with beige. The dull sound of movement echoed softly from the other end.

Ed traipsed along the carpet unhappily, dragging his feet behind him and glaring balefully at the end of the corridor.

"Come on, brother it's not that bad." Al told the sulking boy beside him.

"Anything that gets me out of bed at nine o'clock on a Saturday morning is that bad." Ed scowled.

"But we do this every week," Al reminded him as they trekked out of the passageway into another bright room. It was a large room that had once been a lobby area when the building had still been a hotel, and still had the ornate staircase which branched off in two directions at the top. However this was all that could be seen of the room's heritage beneath the rows of desks, filing cabinets and computers. Papers were stacked across the room in varying degrees of neatness whilst people chatted and worked around them.

The Elrics weaved their way through the busy room to the staircase and turned down a dimmer corridor decorated with the same cream walls, leaf-print border and beige carpet as the other. They came to a stop outside a door reading '15- Colonel Mustang' and pushed it open. The room was spacious, with a long table in the middle where Fuery, Havoc, Breda and Falman seemed to working, and a desk at the back which seated Roy. Riza had been brandishing a pen at the latter before the boys had opened the door, probably in the attempt to force him to complete the paperwork sprawled across his desk.

"Ed! Al!" Roy exclaimed cheerfully. He jumped to his feet and ushered them inside with a hand, "see Riza- I couldn't possibly do all that paperwork whilst entertaining guests!"

"They are not guests- they are here to work," Riza replied forcefully.

"Now Riza, is that anyway to talk about friends?" Roy asked with pseudo-disappointment before looking back at the boy he'd tucked under his arm, he frowned, "What happened to you?" he poked the bruise on Ed's forehead

"Hey!"

"That bruise wasn't there yesterday." Roy continued unhappily.

"Yeah well…I had a run in with a Homunculus…" Ed replied truthfully.

"A homunculus? Which one?"

"Greed," It wasn't completely a lie, it was more of a half-truth.

"Greed?" Roy repeated with a hint of disbelief.

"Yeah, he gave me this," Ed pulled the letter from his pocket before Roy could ask questions. He held it out and Roy took it warily, reading the cursive script on the front.

"'To whomever it may concern'?" he quoted uncertainly. Ed just shrugged and pushed past his long brown coat to shove his hand in his pockets. Roy bowed his head back to the letter apprehensively and the room watched him curiously.

"…Well?" Havoc asked after a minute of inactivity.

"It's interesting," Roy drawled before looking over at Ed, "you've seen it?"

"Yeah I've seen it."

"Seen what?" Havoc looked between the pair in confusion.

Roy eyed Ed contemplatively, "No." Ed told him, "I'm not doing it."

"Doing what?" Havoc asked

"Bu-"

"So this is your headquarters!" The occupants of the room spun round to stare at the window. Ling beamed at them.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ed yelled pointing angrily at him.

"Well, I was innocently walking down the street when I saw you two slip in here. I thought I'd come and see what you were up to." He replied cheerfully.

"How did you know we were up here?" Al asked curiously.

"I saw Roy in the window early- just made an educated guess," Ling grinned somewhat unnervingly.

"And you got through the window how?" Ed demanded.

"I climbed the drainpipe."

"You climbed the drainpipe?" Ed repeated incredulously. He stalked over and stared past the teen balancing on the window sill at the busy street below. A crowd had gathered, pointing and cheering at Ling whilst talking excitedly among themselves.

"You moron!" Ed smacked him on the back of the head, knocking him on to the beige carpet. He then stared at his hand in disgust, "…you're sweating."

"Hey, it's not exactly easy pulling yourself up a drainpipe," Ling replied defensively, rubbing the back of his head ruefully.

"Ling, leave," Roy deadpanned from the other side of the room.

"Aww- but I wanted to see some alchemy," he whined, "what about you pretty lady?" Ling smiled charmingly at Riza, "can you show me?"

"I'm not an alchemist," Riza replied unaffectedly.

"But…" Ling blinked.

"Not everyone in the Alchemists is an alchemist." Roy informed him.

"Then why are you called the Alchemists?" Ling inquired with a confused frown.

"Because we used to be."

Ling's confusion didn't lift, "this is confusing," he complained.

Ed patted his back patronising, "well no-one accused you of intelligence."

"Hey!" Ling climbed to his feet to glare down at Ed in affront. Ed ignored him with the skill of someone with experience with the situation.

"Ed, get rid of him." Roy ordered.

"Why have I got to do it?" Ed exclaimed, jumping out of his state of ignorance, "make someone else do it- I've got work."

"Yeah, he wants to see alchemy, so take him with you." Roy replied simply.

"Oh no. Why can't Al do it?"

"Hey don't bring me into this!" Al exclaimed.

"Ed just take him," Roy replied with annoyance, moving back to his desk, "or I'll make you work with Armstrong."

Ed deflated instantly," Fine," he huffed sullenly, "give me the assignment."

Roy smirked and shuffled through the papers on his desk, "I knew you'd see it my way."

Ed glared and waited impatiently until Roy found the papers he wanted. Roy brought them over with a cheerful smile," thanks," Ed said sarcastically as he took the assignment. He read over the first few lines before heading towards the door. "Bye."

Ling hurried after him, "so, where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"The other side of town," Ed informed him briskly, "we'll have to get a taxi."

"Fine by me," Ling replied, his mouth curling into one of his trademark smiles.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Are you happy now?" Ed asked. He and Ling were trekking down one of the many alleyways between the local café Ed had been asked to fix, and the high street. They were in no particular hurry as Ed had the sneaking suspicion that Roy would have even more work for him to do when he got back and he liked the idea of annoying the young colonel.

"Yeah, that was amazing! I wanna see it again!" Ling grinned and bounced beside the blond happily.

Ed glowered at him, "what are you? Five?" he retorted scornfully, "and stop bouncing, it's making me ill just looking at you."

"So?" Ling rejoined smartly.

"I did something you wanted, now you can do something I want- equivalent exchange." Ed replied simply. He pressed his hands into his pockets and smirked smugly.

"If you believe in the equivalent exchange then why did you take that guy's money? It didn't cost you anything to fix his roof." Ling reproached, but stopped bouncing all the same.

"Hey, a guy's gotta eat you know!" Ed defended, "can't expect someone else to look after me all the time."

"So- alchemy's like a Saturday job for you?" Ling replied with a small frown of concentration.

"Yeah, you could say that," Ed spread his hands out, "but you've got to give 25% to the gang. Apparently it's an expensive business." Ed shrugged.

"So that's why you've got a club on the bottom floor," Ling said, with some realisation.

"Yeah, guess."

"I thought it was like an Alchemist-only club."

Ed shook his head, "nope, makes quite a bit of money according to Mustang. Although he's probably more interested in all the girls it brings in." He scoffed.

"But isn't he with Riza?" Ling asked innocently.

"How do you know?" Ed asked in surprise.

Ling shrugged, "A friend told me."

"I didn't know you had any friends," Ed said smartly.

"Oi!" Ling halted and folded his arms, glaring malevolently, "I have lots of friends I'll have you know." He argued childishly.

"Right- and Father is my great aunt," Ed replied sarcastically, momentarily forgetting that he wasn't talking to another Alchemist. He continued walking and waved his hand flippantly over his shoulder.

"Well if he was I think I would have great worries over your bloodline." Ling said with a troubled expression, he jogged to Ed's side.

"Not _my_ father. Father is the leader of the Alchemists." Ed explained with a small huff.

"Oh… why's he called Father?" Ling asked, his brows furrowing together.

Ed shrugged," how should I know? He chose it."

"So what's his real name?"

Ed shrugged again, "dunno."

Ling blinked, "…you work for the guy and you don't even know who he is?"

"Hey aliases are common in this situation. Everyone in the Alchemists has a codename." Ed glowered up at Ling.

"They do? What's yours?" Ling peered curiously at his companion, ignoring the daggers being sent via his eyes.

"Fullmetal," Ed replied shortly, kicking a pebble that happened to get in the way.

"Fullmetal? Why's that?"

Ed stopped. He pulled the glove off his right hand and waved his metal digits in Ling's face, "automail." He informed the surprised teen.

"Wow… this is the first time I've seen it," Ling replied, not taking his eyes of Ed's hand even after he'd lowered it and slipped his glove back on.

"Yeah, well. It's pretty common with all the war veterans round here." Ed said, tugging the sleeve of his brown jacket back over the glove's end.

"Yeah, but you're not a war veteran," Ling rejoined quickly, "how did you get it?"

Ed didn't reply, instead he strode away and round a corner, ignoring Ling's question completely.

"Hey!" Ling hurried after him and barely stopped himself from crashing into Ed's suddenly frozen form as he rounded the corner. "Wha…" The question trailed away as Ling noticed what was in front of them.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Trisha turned a page of her book and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. She frowned past her hardback at the gas fire roaring happily only two feet away from her seated foetal position on the couch. The house seemed to resisting all attempts to warm it up- Trisha had tried turning up the central heating, lighting the fire and even shutting all the windows. She had then shut herself up in the sitting room, chosen a lengthy book to lose herself in and had curled up beneath her blanket with a steaming cup of tea. Half-an-hour later she was still cold and none of children were around to tell her whether she was just getting old or whether there was a draft getting into the house from somewhere.

There was a sudden knock on the door and Trisha jumped, startled. She pushed herself of the couch and shuffled to the front door before opening it a crack.

"Oh hello," she smiled as she recognised her visitor. "What brings you here Olivia?"

"Hohenheim's sent me on a mission." The blonde woman replied, clearly unhappy with whatever 'mission' Trisha's husband had sent her on.

"Oh? What's he want you to do this time?" Trisha asked with an amused tone and an obliging smile.

"This." Olivia replied, she thrust forwards a box which had Trisha had previously looked over. It was wrapped in magenta and finished with a pink ribbon. Olivia did not look pleased with her charge.

Trisha bit her lip to stop from laughing and slowly took the box of the disgruntled woman's hands. "Thank you." Olivia nodded sharply and turned to leave. "Wait. Won't you join me for a cup of tea? It's a little cold inside but a cup of tea should keep us warm nicely."

Olivia frowned as if confused, "er… no sorry- I've got to get back… maybe next time."

"No problem, maybe next time," Trisha replied with a smile. She wasn't entirely disappointed but the house did seem quiet without the boys around.

Olivia nodded again and quickly strode back the way she came, army-standard boots beating a steady beat across the uneven paving slabs leading away from the Elrics' front door.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Envy," Envy stared at the blond-haired teen in front of him in surprise and he found himself desperately focused on not remembering what that body had felt like pressed him. He ignored Ed's hovering friend.

"O'chibi-san," He replied calmly. The three Chimera behind him shifted uncertainly.

Ed scowled at him, "what are you doing here?"

"I believe you'll find that's none of business, o'chibi-san" Envy replied smoothly, a hand resting comfortably on his hip.

Ed growled and his fists clenched at his sides, "Stop calling me that."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll make you," Ed snarled, stepping forwards threateningly.

Envy opened his mouth to retort to the threat but movement in the corner of his eye made him pause. He glanced to the side to see one of the more stupid Chimera reaching into his coat and his eyes widened in realisation. He did the first thing he could think of and the Chimera stared in shock as the blade flew straight into Envy's chest.

"You moron! Were you trying to start a war?" Envy shouted angrily, making the Chimera blubber incoherently, "Do you know what would have happened if I hadn't have blocked that? We use weapons, they use Alchemy! If you fancy getting yourself killed that much I'd be happy to oblige!"

"I can look after myself," a muffled, angry voice stated.

Envy spun round with a glare to see a stone wall sink back into the earth, "This has nothing to do with you pipsqueak, so stay out of it!" he snarled harshly and was about to return to giving his verbal thrashing when he realised Ed had not been listening to a word he'd just said. Instead he was too busy gawking at Envy's chest.

With a jolt Envy remembered that his chest was still painted with a shiny metallic shield that shouldn't have been possible. He cursed inwardly and spun back to the two behind him.

"Get out of here," he ordered sharply.

"Bu-"

"Now!" Envy commanded furiously. He watched the two of them run back down the path before he shifted back to normal and turned back to where Ed was standing at the mouth of the alley. His friend was nowhere to be seen.

Ed faced him with false calm, "what the hell is going on?" he demanded.

"Nothing that concerns you," Envy replied disdainfully and eyed the boy with disinterest.

Ed scowled at him for several seconds, "fine," he spat. He stalked across the concrete before coming to stop only inches away from the taller boy. Envy watched him stubbornly; he crossed his arms and refused to as much as flinch. Ed wasn't going to make him uncomfortable with proximity- even if it was becoming increasingly difficult not to remember crushing those twisted lips beneath his own.

Suddenly Ed's arm shot out to grasp his left leg roughly, twisting it so he could see the red tattoo displayed proudly beneath Envy's infamous skort. Envy's eyes went impossibly wide and he gave a choked gasp, grabbing on to Ed's shoulders to keep his balance.

"What the fuck are do you think you're doing Elric?" He exclaimed angrily, wrenching his leg out of a cotton grasp.

"This tattoo isn't just some membership thing is it?" Ed replied astutely, his eyes narrowed as he stared into Envy's unnatural violet gaze, "this is a transmutation circle with the alchemic symbol for metamorphosis in the centre."

"So what?" Envy retorted harshly, his hands finally shoving Ed's shoulders away.

Ed stumbled back but stayed upright, "that's human transmutation!" he exclaimed, "Destroying the nature of your body and recreating it as something else shouldn't even be possible! You should be dead!"

"Do I look dead to you o'chibi-san?" Envy asked sarcastically.

"I wish you fucking were!" Ed expelled heatedly, dragging his arms back across his chest to be folded crossly.

"Really? Because you didn't seem to mind me yesterday." Envy replied and thought that Ed looked as shocked as he felt at the statement. He was pretty sure he'd been trying to forget the whole thing had ever happened.

Ed spluttered back into life and finally found his words, "I did _not _want you to do that- you molested me!"

"Oh really, because I think you're exact words were: 'don't run from something you started'. Does that sound like it was against your will to you?" Envy took a certain amount of perverse enjoyment from the scarlet flush burning across Ed's cheeks. He stepped forwards and Ed glared stubbornly back at him, his cheeks undimmed.

"I was high- off adrenaline!" Ed rejoined righteously.

"Yeah? Well so was I! Do you think that I'd really want to kiss a disgusting little thing like you?"

"DON'T CALL ME SHORT, BASTARD!" Ed bellowed predictably and swung an enraged fist at Envy's head. Envy dodged and smashed the smaller teen against a convenient wall.

He ignored the pang of déjà vu.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" he sneered instead. Ed glared back at him before smashing his head into Envy's chin. Envy's head swung forwards and Ed's backed up so he could glare at his captor. Their noses pressed together and Envy could see the individual flecks of colour within Ed's irises.

They stared at each other in surprise, not quite able to believe that they'd ended up in this position. Again. Envy shifted uncomfortably and his nose slid past Ed's and landed on a soft cheek. Two mouths breathed each other's air.

Envy was so close to Ed that he was looking at his downturned gaze cross-eyed. He doubted it was attractive, but Ed wasn't paying all that much attention to anything besides his mouth. He watched in confusion as Ed's eyelids fluttered uncertainly for a second before shutting completely. By the time Envy had figured out what that meant Ed had already tilted his head upwards and shivers tingled down his spine as their lips met.

There was nothing to hide behind this time round; no adrenaline and no anger. This time round he could feel dry skin catching against his own chapped lips and the warm air brushing against his lip. This time round he could smell and touch and taste as he flicked a tongue across the seam of Ed's mouth.

Inside was warm and wet, with surfaces which resisted and yielded to the press of his exploration. Ed's tongue rubbed along his like it was making promises, undulating languidly with suggestions as the cotton of Ed's gloves stroked the bare skin of his back, gliding over the planes of muscle with firm fingertips.

Envy dug his fingers bruisingly into the skin just beneath Ed's neck - trying to make something familiar out of the alien situation- but Ed hummed soothingly around the muscle in his mouth and the vibrations made Envy's grip weaken.

It was awkward. Wet, warm and awkward. They moved their mouths together unsurely and their tongues shifted from mouth to mouth like some strange dance. Envy wasn't trembling; he wasn't because that would make no sense. Ed was calm and his hands were certain as the moved over his skin, like he'd figured something out.

Envy was still in the dark.

The dark-haired teen decided a hundred times over that it was time to stop but it was Ed that broke away. Their lips parted with a soft 'tchu' and it was like somebody had switched off the mute setting. The sound of the main street nearby roared in his ears, the brush of the cool April breeze tickled against his exposed skin, the red of the brick wall behind a face framed with gold assaulted his eyes, and the taste of Ed seemed to burn in his mouth.

Envy was gone before Ed could open his eyes.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Ed stared at the empty space in front of him and licked his lips. He tasted Envy.

It was logical, this lust. It was a psychological thing; his mind associated Envy with excitement, and his hormones associated excitement with arousal. It was a logical process.

Ed was fond of logic.

Ed turned his head towards the main street and pondered on whether to go back to base. Mustang would have figured it out by now, that Ed had gotten out of going to Greed's. If he went back Mustang'd pull rank and make him go. He really didn't want to get any more involved in that than he already was.

Ed pushed away from the wall and started to walk home.

Besides he had homework to do- bloody teachers, it was only the first week back! And with Al working now he didn't need to take as many jobs. He'd have a Saturday to himself for once- he could go by the school dojo- that was open on Saturdays.

Ed's fingers itched with the memory of firm muscle and he balled them into fists.

Then again maybe he could see if there was a decent movie on and eat crap in front of the TV for a couple of hours. There was a pizza in the freezer somewhere, he could dig it out and make a meal of it. It'd take about half an hour to cook and if he hadn't found a movie by then he could always go over his Maths. Homework was always easier with food.

Ed exited the alleyway and was hit by a gust of wind. He licked his dry lips and tasted Envy.

-_still_.

Ed shook his head.

Homework, right, definitely needed to do that. Pizza, then homework- and a movie. If he can find one. Right.

Ed shoved his balled hands into his pockets and strode purposely back to his house.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Ed had been right- that definitely hadn't been anything to do with him- it had been interesting though.

Ling had hung around after his dismissal. He just wanted to make sure that Envy didn't decide to break the 'one-on-one only' rule that Ed had been so adamant about because Envy didn't really seem the type to follow rules. He really should have left after Envy had dismissed his two bodyguards but curiosity had left its mark quite heavily on Ling. Now he felt like he was in some severely messed-up version of _Romeo and Juliet_.

As Ling wandered down the alleyway with his hands shoved in his pockets a dark figure trailed through the shadows behind him. Ling was aware of it, had been since it had started to follow him that morning.

"An interesting development," he said aloud, his gaze shifting to his side.

"Indeed," his follower intoned.

"You don't need to follow me you know."

"It's my orders sir," it replied.

"Of course," Ling smiled surreptitiously and came to a stop, his hands still buried nonchalantly in his pockets, "but you passed the time when you were just my bodyguard a long time ago Ran Fan."

"So?"

Ling chuckled, "always the professional," he returned humorously.

"Of course," The darkly-dressed woman slipped from her shadow to reveal young slanted features. She seemed to be in her early twenties and wore black combats, a black, v-neck t-shirt and a long black coat to ward off the day's chill. Her hands were covered in woollen fingerless gloves and her dark hair was pulled back into a bun, with a few strands escaping across her face. If it hadn't been for the pale oriental skin people could have easily mistaken her for a silhouette as she leaned against the wall.

Ling turned to face her, "do you think I should report it?"

"You don't want to?"

"No." Ling frowned, "it's private."

Ran Fan chuckled, "you're a terrible spy."

"Yeah," Ling smiled faintly.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I saw two boys trying to work out their hormones- hardly relevant to the case." Ran Fan told him casually.

"Thank you." Ling replied with a grateful smile.

"For what?" she replied innocently.

Ling laughed, "Well what would you say about grabbing lunch?" he asked charmingly.

"I have a job to do," Ran Fan reminded him.

"Yes, and you'll still be keeping an eye on me won't you?" Ling smirked and looked at her knowingly.

Ran Fan sighed and huffed, "fine," before pushing off from her wall. Ling walked back to her and held out his arm with a winning grin. Ran Fan stared at it and rolled her eyes before strolling forwards haughtily.

"Hey!" Ling cried aghast and ran after her.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Al stared at the tile wall as he absently soaped the back of his neck. He wasn't thinking of anything in particular: the week's homework, his classmate's antics, what to do whilst his mum and his brother were at the supermarket… Al's lips quirked into a smile as he imagined the scene Ed must have made at _that_ idea.

He let the shower wash away the remaining soapsuds from his body, arching his neck towards the warm spray of water with a contented smile. When the last of the bubbles had disappeared down the drain Al reluctantly pulled himself away from the heat and leaned through the shower curtain to pull a string hanging beside the bathtub. The shower cut off abruptly, leaving only the residual water drops to fall fatly on the tub's plastic bottom, whilst Al reached up to twist the water from his hair before stepping out into the humid air. He shivered as his body readjusted from his heated shower to the mild room.

Al grabbed the large towel hanging on the opposite wall and quickly wrapped it round his cooling skin. He picked the wet bathroom mat off the floor and draped it over the bath side to dry before reaching for a smaller towel to apply rigorously to his hair.

He waited until his body had acclimatised to its the new temperature before he secured his large towel round his waist and braved the frigid air of the rest of the house. He scurried across the hallway to the washing basket to deposit his hair towel on a pile of fellow dirty washing before hurrying into his room.

His bedroom was the smallest of the house and was still painted the stereotypical baby blue; it was perhaps a childish colour but Al had grown used to it. His single bed was nestled in the far right corner and beside it his desk stretched across a low window. Down the left wall was a wardrobe, a slim bookcase and a bin tucked behind the door. Al hurried over to the wardrobe and divested his hips of his towel. In its place he quickly tugged on a pair of boxers, a warm maroon jumper and old pair of dark jeans. Using his window as a mirror Al pulled his hair back carelessly into a tie swiped from his desk before wiping the water collected on his fingers on his trousers.

He flopped down onto a chair and rested an elbow on the desk in front of him before resting his head in his hand. He picked up a pen from between two piles of paper and stared down at the half-finished algebraic problems in front of him with a sigh. He jotted down a series of numbers, letters, and mathematical symbols, coming finally to a concluding 'x = 4', and then stared out of the window disinterestedly.

The clouds were a threatening black and the trees swished periodically from the bursts of wind. The street was quiet, multi-coloured cars were lined up in people's driveways and the council's trees intercepted the pathway at regular intervals.

A shift of movement attracted Al's eyes and beneath the stretching branches of an old horse chestnut he saw a figure huddled, swinging a stick between its fingers. Al peered at it curiously; it wore black shorts that didn't even reach its knees with a black t-shirt too short to cover the whole of its curved back and plain black trainers with rolled down socks. Al wondered if maybe the figure had been doing some kind of sport and had stopped for a rest on the way home.

The figure moved again and its long black hair shifted away from a pale face making Al gape in surprise. It was Wrath and he was glaring up at the sky as though it had done something to slight him.

Al bit his lip as he watched another gust of wind blow through the peaceful street and wondered why the Homunculus was just sitting there. A very typical thought entered Al's mind, making him glance at the red coat hanging on the door behind him, then back down at the street below. It was really none of his business, but Wrath didn't strike Al as the type to sit in the freezing weather just for fun. Another glance down at the pathetic looking Homunculus made up Al's mind for him. Before he realised what he was doing her had already unhooked his coat from the door and was half-way down the stairs.

When Al slipped through his front door Wrath was still sitting, glaring at the sky, and he made no sign to suggest that he had even noticed the other boy. Al approached his huddled form cautiously, pulling his coat tighter around his shoulders. "Wrath?"

The mentioned teenager's eyes darted up to glare at him "get lost," he responded roughly.

Al frowned and fidgeted for a moment, deciding this definitely hadn't been one of his better ideas. "Err… right." He shuffled backwards like one would when retreating from a dangerous animal and Wrath shot him another look through his hair.

"Wait." Al obeyed uncertainly as the boy scrutinised him, "what did you want?"

"I…I was just wondering if you were ok…" Al answered hesitantly.

"I'm fine," Wrath turned away brusquely leaving Al to stare at him hopelessly.

"O…Ok then." Al moved away for the second time, stepping quickly back to the house. Two water droplets splattered onto his left cheek and the boy looked up just as the rain began to pour. Within seconds his coat was already sodden and his fringe was plastered wetly to his forehead. Al looked back across the water-darkened road to the boy beneath the tree.

He hadn't moved. His hair was for once flat and his clothes were sticking even tighter to the skin than they had been before. Al frowned and cupped his hands around his mouth to shout over the heavy rain, "Do you want to come in?" It was only after the words were out of his mouth did Al consider the potential problems of letting an enemy into his house.

Wrath stared at him in disbelief and he seemed to hover indecisively, trying to work out whether to stand or turn away. Al waited patiently holding Wrath's suspicious gaze and, as he tugged his jacket closer, he wondered whether his brain was programmed to take in strays. Wrath slowly placed a hand on the floor to push himself up, moved forwards carefully and came to a halt in front of Al, the rain cascading over his bare skin apparently unnoticed.

"Erm…" Finding nothing to say Al just quickly spun around and continued back to the house, allowing Wrath to follow. He pushed open the front door to a gust of warm air and shuffled gratefully into the house. Wrath fidgeted outside for a second as Al held the door open but eventually committed himself to stepping into the welcoming heat, however warily.

Al busied himself with hanging up his coat- trying to ignore the awkwardness lying thickly in the air- whilst Wrath dripped blankly on the floor. "I'll... I'll go and find you a towel." Al retreated up the creaking stairs, berating himself in his head as he slowly made his way to the linen closet. When he returned Wrath was still standing stiffly where he'd left him, his eyes darting around as though expecting something to jump out and attack him.

"Here," Al murmured, pushing the towel towards him.

Wrath focused his restless eyes on him and took the offering slowly, "Why are you helping me?" he asked quietly.

"Why shouldn't I?" Al replied defensively.

Wrath shot him a deprecating glare, "Because I'm a Homunculus."

"So?" Al retorted childishly.

"I wouldn't help you."

"I know," Al looked down at his feet and then shuffled towards the kitchen. "Do you want some tea?" his manners asked.

"No," Wrath answered, a lilt of confusion seeping into his voice.

Al spared a quick look back only to see Wrath staring at him with perplexity and he blushed beneath the scrutiny. He quickly moved out of the doorway to fill the kettle, "I gave you that towel for a reason, you know," he informed the other first year, determined not to let the blush spreading across his cheeks get the better of him. There was some shuffling from the hallway and finally the sound of rubbing. As he waited for the kettle to boil Al wondered briefly if this was what his mother felt like having to look after Ed. He forced down a smile at the thought.

Al had just finished pouring the water into the teapot when Wrath walked in; his towel was still draped across his head.

"What?" Wrath glared as Al blinked at him several times.

"Are you sure you don't want any tea?" Al found himself asking.

Wrath spared a glance to Al's side and Al followed his gaze to see him looking at the steaming teapot. When Al returned to his eyes to his guest (although Al wasn't sure if that was quite the right name for his company) he found he was already moving towards the table, "whatever," the Homunculus replied indifferently.

"Ah…" Al trailed off and quickly took the chance to busy himself; he was very good at fitting into the role of 'housewife' when nervous. He pulled two cups from a nearby cupboard, stirred the tea and then placed a sugar bowl in the centre of the table, "you can add your own sugar; do you want milk?" Wrath nodded silently, sitting down at the table and removing his borrowed towel.

Al gave a cursory nod in return and crossed the room to extract the milk from the fridge before pouring it the bottom of each cup. The awkwardness that he'd been trying to ignore earlier was almost crushing now and Al sought desperately for something to defuse the tension. "So… why were you outside?" he asked politely.

Wrath didn't respond, making Al worry that that had been the wrong thing to say and peer over his shoulder. Wrath was watching him contemplatively and Al felt his blush rising again.

"Got in a fight." Wrath suddenly replied.

Al peered more fully "…with who?" he asked curiously. Wrath threw him a glare, "sorry!" Al quickly decided to stick with pouring the tea.

"Envy," Al looked back in surprise.

"Oh…" his inquisitive nature longed to ask why but Al reined it in- he didn't want to push his luck.

It wasn't until Al had placed the two cups of tea down on the table that either of them spoke again. "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?" Wrath questioned.

Al's eyes darted up to his impromptu visitor and he dropped nervously into his seat, "err…I…I didn't want to be…rude," he stammered.

Wrath frowned at him for several seconds. "He was acting weird," he replied disgruntled, "he kept glaring at nothing and muttering about your brother."

"Ed?" Al inquired in astonishment, "why?"

"How should I know? I told him to shut up and he hit me, so I hit him back," Wrath pouted. "He won." He added unhappily.

"Oh… so you came out to… sulk?" Al asked unsurely.

"I was not sulking!" Al stared at him startled, and then had to bite down on his lip to hide a smile, "Don't laugh at me!" Wrath continued petulantly.

"I'm not!" Al exclaimed, but the release on his mouth made the grin come unbidden.

"You are!" Wrath huffed and crossed his arms

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry it's just that… you reminded me of Ed…" Al shook his head furiously, but couldn't seem to dislodge the smile.

"I'm nothing like that shrimp!" Wrath retorted hotly.

"I know but… hey- you're shorter than he is!"

"Only by an inch! And I'm younger!"

Al opened his mouth to respond but found nothing but laughter.

Wrath blinked at him surprise before a smile twitched at his mouth. "It's not funny." he protested, but it lacked any conviction, and when Al finally stopped laughing and beamed at him, Wrath blushed. He glared down at the table too.

"I'm sorry," Al apologised again, "it's just… I don't know." He looked down into the tea his hands were wrapped around and smiled.

"Whatever," Wrath replied dismissively, still blushing.

The silence between them was finally comfortable and Al blew gently across the top of his tea with softly curved lips. He saw Wrath watching him and looked over at the window to hide his persistent blush. The puddles on the window sill shimmered in the dull daylight undisturbed. "The rain's stopped," Al commented duly.

Wrath followed his gaze and they both stared out at the Elric's back garden. "…I should go." Wrath eventually said, starting to rise from his chair.

Al whipped his head round with wide eyes, "will you come back?" his mouth asked without any consultation with his brain.

Wrath gaped in surprise, his mouth opening and closing without words, "…err… I… maybe," he finally pushed out before scuttled quickly into the hallway. The front door opened and closed loudly and Al was left staring at the full teacup on the opposite side of the table. Slowly a small smile pressed against the corners of his mouth and he raised his teacup to his mouth to sip as he wondered what time his family would get home.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

* * *

I hope you enjoyed!! As you can see I also harbour a secret love of AlxWrath so they will be back I'm afraid, they're just too cute for me to resist!

To anyone who feels my Wrath is completely out of character I just want to add that he's been modeled on the Wrath from the movie rather than the anime, just purely because I selfishly prefer that one...

Please review and tell me your thoughts ^__^


	4. Sunday

Gah! I'm sorry this took so long, I've had it uploaded for ages and I kept forgetting to post! *smacks self with old tomato* stupid exams... which is where I'm off to now- joyous sociology. I hope you enjoy my attempts at minor angstyness and so sprry about the sappy Elric moment- its Trisha- she makes me do it I swear!

* * *

Chapter 4- Sunday

"Oh heya Ed, Winry's up stairs fiddling with whatever gadget Mum gave her yesterday. I'll call her for you."

"Thank you Mr Rockbell," Ed replied, stepping inside the Rockbell home.

"Winry! Ed's here!" the blond man shouted up the stairs. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed across the ceiling and Winry appeared in the stairway. The glint of metal was the only warning Ed got before he had to duck out of the way of a projectile wrench. "Honey, try not to wreck the house." Winry's father said nervously.

"Sorry Dad," the mechanic replied before rounding on her customer, "Edward Elric you are an hour late! Where the hell were you?"

"I'm sorry! My alarm clock didn't go off- I only got up about fifteen minutes ago!" Ed shouted back defensively.

"It's midday! How much sleep do you need?" She exclaimed.

"I'm a growing boy!" Ed whined.

"It doesn't look like it from here."

Ed scowled furiously, "why you…!" he clenched his fists.

"Are you coming up or not?" Winry asked pointedly. Ed growled in response and stomped up the stairs.

"See you kids later," Winry's father called cheerfully as the two disappeared from view.

Ed stared round at the girl's room with a raised eyebrow, "did you clean in here? I think I can see some of the floor." He said, stepping around some metal thingiemajiggy and tapping a piece of technological stuff out of the way so he could sit down on a chair and rest his right arm on an amazingly clear table.

"Haha, very funny," Winry replied with a glare. "Well come on then- off with the shirt, some of us don't have time to laze around you know."

Ed glared back, but it was missed as the girl turned her back to start sorting through her box of tools. "I told you- that wasn't my fault," he retorted as he pulled his black jumper over his head, and placed his arm back with a metallic clank.

"Oh so you weren't up all night, pouring over some ancient tome of alchemy that you'd found in the depths of the library?"

"How do you know?" Ed replied incredulously.

Winry sighed, "you are so predictable Ed." She turned back round and came 'face-to-face' with his chest.

"Jesus Ed!" she exclaimed, "You look like you've been used as a punch bag!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ed replied and he ducked his head to stare at his feet, unable to decide whether to be angry at her interference or to be ashamed of the lifestyle he'd been getting himself into.

"I'm serious Ed! How many fights have you been getting into? …Or is this all from just one fight…?" The girl's expression flickered through disbelief, worry and anger.

"It's nothing Winry, don't worry about it."

"It's obviously not nothing," she muttered as she crossed over to the table and sat in the chair opposite him. "Nothing does not leave bruises stretching across your ribs." She lifted his metal arm from where he'd sprawled it across the surface and ran her eyes rapidly over the framework. When Ed didn't reply she pursed her lips sternly and made a more studious examination of the machine-works in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Ed asked gruffly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm admiring my handiwork- is that a problem?"

"No," Ed scowled at the wall.

Winry placed the arm back down on the table and glared at him, "you're always so ashamed of this arm."

"I am not!"

"Don't lie Ed. You always hide it away beneath sleeves and jackets and gloves- even in the middle of _summer_. You always glare whenever anyone asks you about it. You hate coming to have it maintanenced- you'll delay it for as long as you can-"

"-I told you- it was an accident!" Ed protested, but Winry just raised her voice.

"-AND you _never_ tell _anyone_ how it happened." she finished irritably.

"Well that's none of their business!" Ed retorted, a protesting anger bubbling inside of him as the conversation took an unwanted twist.

"Most people would be proud!" Winry rejoined with frustration. "You lost your arm to save you're younger brother's life! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"All it means was I wasn't fast enough! He's still got the scars Winry. If I had been faster they never would have got hold of him!" Ed argued, his automail hand curling into a fist. He glared at it balefully.

"You were twelve years old Ed. You were up against a group of backstreet thugs that had spent their whole lives going from one crime scene to the next- what do you think you could have done?"

"I could have been faster," Ed muttered stubbornly.

"Oh for-! If Al could hear you know he would beat you senseless!" She told him, jabbing a heavy wrench in his direction. "They'd just hacked off your whole fucking arm and you still managed to destroy the ground beneath their feet! I didn't even think the kind of people who could do that existed outside of a TV screen," she huffed and pulled his arm back towards her.

"I just severed some of the molecular bonds." Ed answered sulkily.

"Ed- I don't even know what that means now and you were a twelve-year-old whose only alchemic education had been a couple of old books you'd found in the study. When are you going to realise that you did more than anyone could ever have imagined?" Winry sighed and fiddled with some delicate piece of wiring.

"It doesn't matter what anyone imagined Winry. I could have been faster and because I wasn't I lost an arm and Al got his chest sliced open. How is that something to be proud of?"

Winry gave a frustrated sigh, "why do I bother?" she asked rhetorically.

"Because you don't get it." Ed informed her darkly.

"No, no I don't." Winry looked away from the arm and back up at her friend, "just think about it Ed." She sighed again, "You're done. Remember to keep it oiled and stop getting into so many fights."

"Yeah, yeah I know." Ed replied as he stood and slipped his jumper back on. "I'll see you at school."

"See ya." Ed could feel her eyes on him as he walked out the door.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Al stared down at the boy gazing up at his window with a somewhat dumbfounded expression. Wrath was once again curled beneath his tree and despite the miniature gale ripping through the suburb he was still wearing much the same outfit as yesterday- only in blue. Al bit his lip and wondered if he could sneak the boy in without his mother noticing before deciding that no, he couldn't, because being a mother the woman obviously had eyes in the back of her head. But he couldn't leave him out there without doing anything, especially considering he'd been the one to ask him back.

Al slipped down the stairs as quietly as he could and crept over to the door, adopting the customary teenager creeping-crouch.

"Al is that you?" his mother called from the kitchen.

Al inwardly cursed, "err yeah" he called back, straightening up and turning towards the voice's origin.

"Could you pop out and get me some milk, love? I'm not feeling very well and we're running short," Trisha asked.

Al blinked at his good fortune and agreed eagerly.

Five minutes later he was standing on the opposite side of the front door, with the wind whipping enthusiastically at his short hair and long red coat. He watched nervously as Wrath, holding his gaze, slowly climbed to his feet. Al shuffled over, fighting against the forceful gusts of air, and tried not to stare at Wrath's bare limbs.

"Hello." Wrath stated duly.

"H-How the h-hell can you be w-wearing th-that in this w-weather?" Al asked incredulously. Wrath looked down at his attire as though seeing it for the first time.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you cold?" Al shivered and rubbed his hands together in a desperate effort to create some warmth.

Wrath shrugged, "No."

Al stared at him, "do you have s-some kind of i-in-built r-radiator?"

"No," Wrath replied, he eyed Al oddly, and the blonde had to restrain the urge to stick his tongue out childishly. "If you're so cold why don't you go back inside?"

"I h-have to go to the sh-shop." Al answered, "M-Mum needs m-milk."

"Oh."

"Do… Do you want to come with me?" Al asked hopefully.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Al glanced over at his companion as the two of them walked silently down the path, their footsteps falling in an irregular sync, and his thoughts strayed to what Ed had told him last night.

Al licked his lips and the wind dried them immediately, "I- err- I heard that all the people in your family have the Ouroburos tattoo. Is it true?" He asked pseudo-casually, finally over his cold-induced stammer.

"All the kids do," Wrath confirmed.

"Where's yours?"

"On my foot."

Al winced, "didn't that hurt?" Wrath shrugged. Al bit his lip before he asked his next question, "…can I see it?"

Wrath shot him a guarded look, "why?"

"I… well it's just that… I've never one up close- I'm just curious you don't have to-" Al rambled. Wrath frowned and came to halt before pulling up a foot and unlacing his boots with perfect balance. Al's eyes widened, "y-you don't have t-to do it here! You'd probably get frostbite or something!" He exclaimed worriedly.

Wrath watched him uncertainly as he replaced his foot slowly on the floor, "where am I meant to show you then?"

"Well... when we get back to mine you could come in…" Al trailed off shyly.

"Won't your mum mind?" Wrath asked.

Al hadn't thought of that, "Err… well I…" he replied uselessly, watching as Wrath nodded to himself. Before Al could protest he slipped his shoe and sock off.

"You didn't have to do that," Al told him softly. Wrath shrugged stiffly, holding his foot up for inspection. Al lowered his gaze hesitantly and peered down at the circular tattoo, his curiosity rising. As Ed had suspected there was an alchemic symbol in the centre, "synthesis," Al whispered quietly, his eyes roving over the simple character.

"What?"

Al jumped and straightened rapidly, "its just err... your tattoo- it-it has an alchemy symbol in the middle," Al replied. He swallowed nervously as he planned the conversation's course.

"So?" Wrath retorted.

"Well Ed… Ed said Envy has one too but it's different. His is metamorphosis." Al licked his lips only to have the wind dry them again. He could feel his curiosity racing towards his final question and felt himself being helplessly dragged behind it.

"I know," Wrath replied his tone guarded.

"Ed said that he…" Al gestured faintly and tried to find the right word, "…morphed," He tilted his head to look up curiously at the other boy, hoping for a response that would satisfy his inquisitive nature before it reached its final destination- which Al knew was bound to land him trouble. He had years of experience on that storyline.

"I see." It was the wrong answer.

Common sense made Al try to stop his next question, but it jumped out of his mouth before he could do anything about it, "…can you do anything?" was delivered to the air with an aplomb that made him wince and he slapped a hand against his mouth as though hoping the action would take the words back.

Wrath glared at the boy.

"Sorry!" Al exclaimed, muffled past his flattened hand.

"You ask too many questions," Wrath told him as he yanked his footwear back on.

Al removed his hand slowly and ducked his head. "I know I'm sorry," he replied embarrassedly "its just… sometimes I get interested in something and I…and I… ask questions." Al tried to explain helplessly.

"And… you're interested in me?"

Al felt his cheeks flame and fingers fidgeted together, "well… I guess." He admitted.

"We should get going." Al's head darted up as he watched the teen stroll away. He hurried after him, "I can do something." Wrath said when he caught up.

Al's eyes widened, "w-" he slammed his lips together to break off the question. He watched in confusion as Wrath pulled a pale green leaf off a hedge as they walked past and balanced it on a finger. Suddenly the other's hand began to glow like an activated transmutation circle and Al watched in awe as the skin bound itself to leaf, wrapping flawlessly around the edges until it had become a part of the external organ- Al could see veins pumping blood beneath the thin surface. He stared in wonder as Wrath held his finger up for inspection. "Synthesis," the alchemist breathed in awe. "That's… that's… wow that's amazing- how…?"

"I don't know." Wrath replied, "Dante said it was something to do with the tattoo ink."

"The tattoo ink?" Al frowned in confusion, "how could that have anything to do with it?"

"I don't know." Wrath repeated.

Al's brows furrowed and his lips pursed, "Maybe if I could…" he cut himself off again, "ah- sorry."

"What for?"

"I was… it's none of my business." Al replied, looking away.

"I told you, didn't I?" Wrath frowned

"Well… err- yeah but…" Al stumbled through his words.

"You can take a look one day if you'd like," Wrath proposed.

Al looked back at him in surprise before a slow smile slipped shyly across his mouth, "I-I'd like that." He admitted softly.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Blondie!" Ed froze mid-step in a busy high-street of Amestris and spun round slowly to face the club-owner.

"Greed." He replied unhappily. A grinning Greed, followed by Martel, Dorochet and the man Ed had seen behind the bar, strolled towards him through the crowds.

"Well ain't this a pleasant surprise?"

"What do youwant?" Ed sighed.

"I'm hurt Blondie. I just wanted to say hi." Greed pulled the 'hurt' expression off his face and slid a grin onto it instead, "I noticed you didn't come back with that letter," he continued meaningfully.

"You said we had a week to reply." Ed responded guardedly and resisted backing away a few inches.

"Oh you did reply- but they sent some guy who kept showing off pictures of his wife and kid. It didn't go down well with the punters I'll tell you that now," Greed chuckled. "I was wondering if you'd like to come instead?"

"No way- I'd have to be crazy to do that!"

"Blondie! You wound me!" Greed exclaimed with an expression of mock-betrayal.

"Right," Ed drawled, unconvinced.

"There'd be free beer?"

"No."

"Women?"

"No!"

"Ooh so you're gay?"

"I am not!"

Greed laughed, "Fine then. Just do one more thing for me as compensation…"

"Compensation?" Ed asked confused.

"Yes, compensation for the customers I lose when this Hughes guy comes around."

"Hey! How is that my fault?"

The Homunculus chuckled as his reply and reached into his jacket, pulling out a thick envelope.

Ed crossed his arms at the sight of it. "What am I? Your messenger boy?" he retorted stubbornly.

"Just take it Blondie." Greed replied with an amused smile.

Ed eyed the letter warily, "And you expect me to believe that you just happened to put that letter in your pocket this morning by pure coincidence?" he asked suspiciously.

Greed laughed again, "sharp as ever Blondie. Let's just say this ain't information I'd want getting into the wrong hands so make sure it gets to the person it's meant to." Greed pushed the letter towards Ed again, who finally snatched it away, "See ya around Blondie!" He winked and disappeared back into the city crowds, his bodyguards following after him.

Ed glared after him, "I am not gay," he muttered to himself, "Envy is a… psychological thing." Ed nodded his head emphatically before looking down at the letter in his hands.

He gaped at the name scripted on the front.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

Lust glared past the Chimera bouncers that were scattered in front of the desolate entrance to the Devil's Nest. If he thought he was being discreet the object of her ire was greatly mistaken as Lust had clearly seen him slink to the end of the alley in front of her and lean against the wall. But that could just be because she had been waiting for him.

This was the third day the man had come looking for Kimberley. He hadn't bothered to speak to anyone since the first time, he just stood and stared; Lust knew that he could see her just as well as she could see him because when she shook her head he'd leave. She didn't know what to make of his trust of her- or why she kept helping him- but something inside her must have thought it was good thing as she was back here for the third time too.

She wondered when he'd started searching for Kimberley- it had been twenty years since the Ishvalan War yet he looked only 23- and how he knew it was Kimberley he was searching for. She was intrigued by his conflicting attitudes: religion and revenge, opposing poles forcefully juxtapose and kept in place with just a piece of string. All that was left was to wait for the string to snap.

The sound of a door opening and closing carried down the dim corridor to her ears and the patter of uncovered feet told who was coming up to meet her.

"What are you doing?" the disdainful voice of Envy asked.

"What's it to you?" Lust replied; turning her head to him as the other came to a stop beside to her.

"You're behaving weirdly." Envy frowned.

"Worried about me?" Lust smiled mockingly, she knew from experience that Envy had little worry for anyone besides himself. As long as they were breathing it was either a good or bad thing to Envy, depending on who it was.

"Not you, I'm worried about me. You're behaving weirdly is generally a sign of PMS and last month I had to somersault out of the way of your bloody spears!" The smile dropped from Lust's face and her beautiful features were marred by an angry glare.

"If you care to think a little harder you might remember the reason why you had to somersault out of the way of my 'bloody spears' was because you had stolen all my underwear and strewn it over the entire house!" She retorted furiously. "Sometimes I wonder if it is you, not Wrath, who is the youngest of our household!"

"Oi!" Envy shouted irately, but it seemed he head no comeback. Lust turned away and noticed that the Chimera bouncers were edging away from the arguing pair. Useless idiots.

Lust sighed, "he's back again." She eventually said.

Envy frowned his confusion, "who?"

"That scarred man."

"Oh, the bible-basher?" Lust frowned and Envy returned it insolently, "what?" he asked.

Lust shook her head, "I don't know what else I expect; you've been this way since the orphanage."

Envy smirked before looking across at the dark figure that had been the focus of Lust's attention earlier. "Why are you watching him anyway?" his voice had returned to its usual disdain.

"I'm waiting for him to do tricks," Lust retorted sarcastically and ignored the older boy as her peered at her oddly.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Envy huff, cross his arms and lean against the wall. "This is what I mean."

"What makes you think I'm acting so weirdly?" Lust asked, genuinely curious, it wasn't as if sarcasm was an unusual act for her.

"I've known you for 10 years Lust, I know when you're acting strange."

"10 years… that was when you arrived at the orphanage. You were a real ass at seven." She smirked at the memories the thought evoked.

"Hn. You didn't seem to mind." Envy replied with a sideways look.

"Yeah well- you were cute at seven too. Hair like-"

"-Shut it." Lust snickered. "You were aptly named weren't you?" he added sardonically, "even at seven you were a slut."

Lust brushed the insult off without so much as much as a flicker of emotion. "I hardly call a peck on the cheek equal to slut-dom." She replied calmly.

"It was my first day!" Envy argued.

"Yes, and I was young and stupid." She gave him a minute for the insult to sink in.

"Hey!"

"I'm going back in." She informed the brash teen. She shook her head surreptitiously at the man who was still staring down the alley at her before turning with a cascade of black tresses and sashaying back down the dark corridor.

"He's leaving," Envy's surprised voice floated after her and small smile tucked itself against the corners of her mouth.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Th-Thank you for coming with me." Al's voice was hesitant as he stood on the steps to his front door.

"You're welcome." Wrath replied duly.

Al gave him a smile that made his stomach roll peculiarly and fumbled with the door handle behind him. "See you tomorrow? You know, at school?"

Wrath nodded as Al finally opened the door and stepped backwards over the threshold into his house.

"Al?" a quiet voice called from the back. "Al, where am I?" Wrath watched as the blond froze before slowly rotating. "Al?"

"Mum?" Al replied, his small voice thick with worry. A tall brunette woman had appeared in the doorway of what Wrath assumed was the kitchen- she was wearing an apron.

"Al? Where am I?" The woman asked. "I'm so cold and I don't know where I am." She said plaintively.

"You're home, mum." Al answered concernedly and Wrath could imagine his wide eyes watching her warily. Suddenly the woman swayed and collapsed against the wall next to her. "Mum!" Al ran to her side, and the bag carrying the milk fell from his hand. Something gave and a thick coating of white blood spread rapidly across the laminate flooring. "She's burning up!" Wrath wrenched his eyes from the still-growing mess to where Al was staring at him helplessly.

"Call an ambulance." Wrath found himself saying as his eyes slid down to examine the woman now sitting on the floor. Her skin was the colour of ash and she had pulled herself inwards, shivering. Wrath was aware of Al's rapid footprints, and then of his frantic voice as he spoke to the emergency operator, but it turned to background noise when Trisha Elric turned her confused eyes to his. They looked like Al's- the grey of an overcast day- but hers glinted bright with fever.

"Who are you?" She mumbled bemusedly.

"No one," Wrath supplied helpfully. He wasn't sure if telling the woman his name would really be a good idea.

Trisha frowned and shook her head with a soft moan, "can't be no one…" she informed him with a continuing mumble.

"Mum?" Al had returned to his mother's side and was kneeling beside her, grasping her hand.

"Al?"

"The paramedics will be here soon ok?" he told her, biting into his lower lip almost brutally. Wrath crossed over to them softly and knelt down on the opposite side of Al's mother before leaning over to free Al's lip before he drew blood. Al stared at him in surprise and a fear for the woman between them.

Wrath sat back on his haunches, he didn't know what he was supposed to do so he settled for staring. Al's cheeks took on a pink glow and he ducked his head back at his shivering mother speedily.

It took nine minutes and 13 seconds for the ambulance to arrive; Wrath had counted as he'd watched Al stroke his mother's hair anxiously and whisper soothing nothings which didn't quite hide the tremor in his voice. The paramedics were a blur to Wrath as he watched Al dart his eyes between them frenetically and speak at a speed almost too fast to understand. The paramedics nodded, replied calmly, and pried his fingers from around his mother's hand. They loaded Trisha onto a stretcher and Wrath turned to watch them carry her to the ambulance van.

A tight grip around his hand made him glance down and he saw that Al's strong fingers clutching at the back of his hand, and that Al's knuckles were almost white with the force of them. Wrath dared a look at Al's face but the boy wasn't looking at him. His grey eyes were pointed directly at the scene over Wrath's shoulder. Wrath heard the slam of a door and suddenly found himself being jerked up by the arm.

"Wait!" Al yelled to the paramedics, "take us with you!" He pulled the surprised Homunculus after him as he raced down the path.

One of them, a female Wrath noted, jerked her lips into an unsure expression. "You're her sons?" she asked nicely.

"Yes," Al nodded enthusiastically, "please let us go."

The woman furrowed her brows into an almost pained expression before finally relenting, "ok- but stay out of the way." She ordered.

"We will!" Al exclaimed breathlessly and climbed into the van, dragging the unresisting Wrath behind him.

The trip to the hospital took 734 of the racing heartbeats Wrath could feel against his skin through the press of Al's thumb. By the time they got there Al was a rigid bundle of nerves beside him and Wrath was forced to lead him by the hand into the waiting room they were directed to.

The two boys sat silently on the badly-cushioned seats of the white-washed room and Al was yet to release Wrath's hand from his grip. Wrath twitched his fingers gently as he tried to force more blood through his constricted arteries.

The sudden shrill sound of an artificial meow made them both jump and Al finally pulled his hand away to shove it in his pocket. He drew out his methodically meowing phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" he asked, his voice somewhat hoarse, like he'd been shouting or crying instead of sitting staring dumbly at the floor.

"Al? Where are you?" Wrath heard the muffled tone of Edward Elric hum through the air.

"A-At the hospital…Mum… she-she collapsed…" Al voice was tight and his free hand was curled into a fist.

"I'm coming." Ed told him sharply. The phone clicked faintly and Al slowly pulled it away from his ear, snapping it shut. He continued to stare at the floor.

Wrath knew there were things to say in these situations but for the life of him he couldn't think of any of them. Instead he peered sideways at the water shimmering in Al's eyes and tugged his hand back into his. Al looked up at him in surprise.

"I don't mind if you cry." Wrath told him quietly, causing the boy's features to contort into something between a grimace and a confused frown.

"I don't-" a knock interrupted Al's sentence and the two looked up at the white-coated man as he entered the room.

"You're the Elric brothers?" he asked kindly. Al nodded and, after a moment's hesitation, so did Wrath. The doctor nodded back, "I am Doctor Knox. You'll be relieved to hear that your mother is stable." Wrath heard Al expel the breath he'd been holding.

"What- What's wrong with her?" the blond asked softly.

"She has septicaemia. A cut on the palm of her left hand had become infected and the disease had spread." Al's expression turned pained. "She will have to stay in hospital for some time, but the disease has been caught early so she may be able to return home in just a few days." The doctor smiled, "she's going to be fine."

Wrath felt Al slump against him and turned his head sharply towards him. "Thank you doctor," Al finally expelled sincerely.

The doctor just nodded again, "you'll be able to see her in a few minutes," he informed them before leaving the room.

Al peeked up at Wrath through his heavy bangs. "I'm sorry," he said, "I dragged you along without even asking," he blushed lightly, "and I think I almost broke your hand." He gave a small, nervous laugh before unwinding his fingers from around the abused appendage. Wrath missed their presence acutely.

"You're welcome," Wrath replied, taking the apology as an Al-esque, nervous thank you.

"Oh," Al's eyes widened, "yes, thank you of course." Wrath blinked. "What?"

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

'General' Olivia Armstrong was not known to be a compassionate woman; however this did not mean that she was incapable of understanding. Therefore when she informed her friend of the events of his household she did allow him a few moments of irrationality.

"So you are planning to march straight into a hospital which is certain to house at least half a dozen Chimera and demand to see a wife you abandoned 12 years ago?" She inquired politely.

"Yes!" Hohenheim retorted, grabbing his coat from its old-fashioned stand and yanking it on.

Olivia waited until he'd completed the act before replying, "Do you think Dante has forgiven you?"

Hohenheim froze, "what?"

"Well as I recall she was very good at keeping grudges." Olivia watched him carefully as he studied her. "Sit back down Hohenheim, you're not going anywhere."

"I-!"

"-left your wife to protect her." Olivia finished for him forcefully.

"I know that!" Hohenheim shouted with frustration. Olivia didn't like being shouted at.

"So what do you think would happen if you turned up at her bedside now?" she asked frostily, "As it is Trisha and your sons are safe because Dante believes you couldn't care less for them- going now would jeopardise that protection."

"But…" Olivia watched as the man sunk down on to his chair in defeat.

"I'll go Hohenheim, I am their neighbour after all." She told him. He looked up her pleadingly and she sighed, "I'll be back soon." She turned on her heel and left the room briskly. She had no wish to look at her broken boss for any longer than she had to; 'General' Olivia Armstrong was not known for her compassion- and she wanted to keep it that way.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"…I should go." Wrath finally said.

He stood up from his seat next to Al and the boy looked up at him in surprise, "why?"

"Your brother…" Wrath frowned as he tried to formulate the rest of his sentence, but it wouldn't come.

"But… how are you going to get home?" the blond asked unsurely.

"I'll walk."

"Oh… right," Al's fingers fidgeted in his lap and they both fixated on them as a distraction. "Erm… then thank you for… for coming with me. Again." Al said hesitantly as he looked back up, a small smile wavering across worried lips. Wrath nodded briskly in response and an awkward silence crept between the pair. Wrath racked his brain almost desperately for the social protocol of the situation and his mind grasped onto something he'd seen in a movie at some point.

Hesitantly, he held out his hand.

Al stared down, his eyes blinking with his surprise. Wrath felt a rush of embarrassment rush to his cheeks and he dropped his hand rapidly as he turned his head to blush. He nearly jumped at the tentative brush of Al's fingers as the slid across his palm and curled around the edge. His touch was warm and gentle and lingered disquietingly in the corners of Wrath's mind cosily close to the way Wrath's stomach behaved when he caught a flicker of a smile on Al's lips.

Wrath pulled back quickly, "…I should go." He repeated as he watched the other somewhat warily. Al's eyes were wide with surprise at his rapid withdrawal and his mouth was parted _invitingly._ Wrath backed away from the boy as though it would stop the strange thoughts pouring into his head and found himself pressed against the door. He opened his mouth to say some kind of goodbye but nothing came out and he stood frozen for a moment as Al watched him with anticipation. He shut his mouth with a click, pulled open the door behind him and darted out.

Wrath slipped past doctors, nurses and patients unnoticed as he progressed to the door. He felt weirdly reluctant to leave Al alone in the cold, impersonal room with nothing but a few old magazines thrown carelessly across a pine coffee table to keep him company and that unnerved him. Wrath was not used to feeling anything other than relief when he'd managed to find an excuse to leave another's company.

Wrath was pulled momentarily from his thoughts when a flash of blond rushed past him and disappeared down the corridor Wrath had just come from. He pushed down the sudden, irrational idea to following the blur back to where Al was and forced himself to continue moving in the opposite direction, right through the revolving front doors into the cool dusk air outside. An involuntary shudder ran down Wrath's spine as the tendrils of a cold wind glided over his heated skin and he quickly stepped back into the 25º Celsius of the hospital behind him. If anybody had been looking they would seen his skin glow as he synthesised the surface organ with the warm molecules of air around him, making himself a barrier which he could keep warm with his own circulatory system.

He stepped back out and the wind immediately buried itself in the strands of his hair, pulling them after itself as it raced off to the left, but Wrath couldn't feel its chill anymore. His eyes snuck a backwards glance over his shoulder and the glance quickly turned to glare as he realised what he was doing. He yanked his head forwards before starting to stride purposely away from the tall, concrete construction and towards the rush-hour streets of Amestris.

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

"Al?" Ed called as he wrenched open the door he'd been directed to.

"Brother!" Al exclaimed, he jumped up at from his seat and Ed strode across the cheap beige carpet to envelope him in a hug

"How's mum?" Ed demanded, still catching his breath from his run through the hospital, and pushed his brother to arm's length.

"She's gonna be ok" Al informed him with a small smile. "The doctor said we can see her in a minute."

Ed's features relaxed and he closed his eyes to let the feeling of relief wash over him, "and you? Are you ok?"

Al smiled and nodded as he replied, "yeah I'm fine, the paramedics made sure I was okay…"

Ed beamed at him, "good. So what was wrong with mum?" he asked as he let himself drop onto the hard chair beside him. Al joined him.

"Septicaemia- from the cut on her hand."

Ed stared at him in surprise, "but that was… how did it get infected so fast?"

"I don't know."

Ed frowned and was still frowning when the door was opened by a bespectacled middle-aged man with black stubble and a long white jacket. He held a red clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Doctor Knox," Al greeted the man keenly, "can we see our mother now?"

Doctor Knox gave the pair a confused frown, looking between one to the other, "you… are the Elric brothers…?"

"Yes," Ed confirmed, the man seemed uncertain of the answer and Ed had to wonder why- the family resemblance between him and Al was hardly minor.

Doctor Know finally halted his flickering glances and fixed his gaze on Al, "what- what happened to the other boy?" he asked hesitantly.

"What other boy?" Al replied curiously, his brows furrowed in polite confusion.

"Err… ah… I must have been thinking about someone else," the doctor answered slowly, "it's been quite a long day…"

"It's alright." Al smiled softly in a way that always reminded Ed of their mother. "Can- can we see our mum now?" Al asked with restrained impatience.

This seemed to pull the man away from whatever puzzled thoughts had been circling his brain as he suddenly smiled. "Yes you can." He told them, "but not for long I'm afraid- she's going to need plenty of rest,"

"Right!" Al nodded earnestly "where is she?"

Doctor Know smiled at the younger boy's enthusiasm and threw an amused glance at where Ed was reclining. Ed smiled back. "She's in ward 3." Knox answered, returning his gaze to Al.

"Thank you," Al replied, and was already at the door before Ed had gotten to his feet.

"Hey Al slow down," Ed laughed, "you'll leave me behind at this rate."

"Well hurry up then," the sixteen-year-old called over his shoulder.

"Oi!" Ed exclaimed and strode after him, leaving a bemused Doctor behind them. "I'm you older brother- you have to do what I say!" he demanded once he'd caught up.

"Since when has that happened?" Al replied smartly, sneaking a sideways look at his brother.

"Hey when you were younger you used to follow me around everywhere!" Ed rejoined, "You were _cute_ back then. Now you're just insolent!"

"Well you're a brat with an inferiority complex who swears too much." Al retorted neatly.

"Hey! What do you mean 'inferiority complex'?" Ed returned defensively.

"Short."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?" Ed raged loudly. The people surrounding them in the wide, white-washed corridor stared at them with expressions varying from shock to disapproval. "Err… sorry…" the blond apologised embarrassedly.

"That's what I mean." Al informed him as he walked away from the scene Ed had created.

"It is not an inferiority complex!" Ed retorted furiously. "It's everyone thinking I'm short just because they're all so freakishly tall!" he exclaimed.

"Right," Al drawled and pushed open a pair of pale doors labelled 'Ward 3' before stepping inside. There were two women sitting behind a curved desk to the left but Al evidently didn't think he'd need their help to find his mother in an open ward as he walked straight past them. Ed hurried after him, still insulted over the 'inferiority complex' comment but deciding that his brother could be dealt with later- when he least expected it.

They stepped into a ward lined with chequered green and white curtains shimmering with a plastic sheen. Ed peered into each one as they walked past, checking for soft grey eyes and rich brown hair, and nearly missed her. Lank, dark hair was splayed across the stark white pillow and her eyes were hidden behind colourless eyelids. Her eyebrows were drawn together in discomfort and the pasty skin of her face glistened with sweat.

"Mum!" Al exclaimed as he saw her. He ran to her side with wide eyes and grabbed a hand lying prostrate beside her weakened form. Ed watched the colourless eyelids open slowly and those soft grey eyes he'd been looking for appeared.

"Alphonse," Trisha whispered hoarsely, dry lips breaking into a smile. She turned her head slightly and looked directly at Ed, "Edward." She reached out her free, white-wrapped hand to the standing boy and he shuffled forward obediently.

"How you doing Mum?" he murmured as he slipped his fingers through her warm digits.

"I'm ok," she replied, her voice still low and cracking slightly.

"Do you want some water?" Ed asked concernedly.

"Yes please," Ed turned to pour her a glass but Al had beaten him to it and was already placing the cool glass in her reaching hand. She brought it up to gulp greedily and the two brothers exchanged a worried look over her head.

"Are you sure you're ok Mum?" Ed pressed. The infirmed woman pulled the vessel away from her mouth guiltily and placed it on the flimsy, plastic tray/table in front of her and shook her head.

"Not yet… the doctor said it would be a few days at least before I'll be better," she admitted as she stared down at her newly bandaged hand.

"Yeah he told us that too," Ed told her gruffly, he pushed his hands in his pockets.

"What happened, Mum?" Al asked from the other side of the bed. Ed glanced over to him before returning his glance to his mother who smiled sheepishly.

"I forgot to wash it," she confessed, lifting her hand slightly.

Ed sighed and smiled. "Idiot."

"Oi!" she exclaimed, "don't talk to your mother that way!"

"I'll talk anyway I like to a woman who can't even remember to wash her wounds!" Ed replied hotly, folding his arms stubbornly across his chest. In his corner Al began to laugh, causing Ed to throw glare over, "what are you laughing about?"

Al grinned at him, "you."

Ed opened his mouth to inform him just what he thought of boys who mocked their older, superior brothers but was caught short by a new arrival. She was blonde with ice blue eyes which could certainly give an icy stare. Even at 5' 9" she cut an imposing figure and you always had the disconcerting feeling that she was concealing a weapon somewhere when you were around her. Her face was beautiful but just one look told you all you needed to know on how glacial the woman beneath could be.

"Hello Olivia," his mother greeted their next door neighbour with a smile.

"Trisha, how are you?" Olivia Armstrong replied, keeping her position at the end of the bed.

"I'll be ok. I forgot to wash a wound and it got infected but I'll be fine after a course of antibiotics that I can't pronounce and some penicillin," Trisha replied with a soft laugh.

Armstrong seemed to take this into careful consideration. "Well that explains why your house was so warm yesterday." She deliberated. All three Elrics stared at her with identical looks of bemusement, "you must have had a fever."

Ed watched a light dawn in his mother's eyes. "How can you not realise when you have a fever?" He demanded disbelievingly.

"I only felt cold!" Trisha defended.

Armstrong cut across the familial quarrel brusquely, "when will you be getting home?"

"I'm not really sure yet," Ed's mother admitted. "Hopefully before the end of the week."

"Right. I'll leave you to rest then." The general told her just as brusquely as she'd asked her question.

"Yes of course. Thank you for coming Olivia."

"You're welcome." The blonde woman always strode, Ed noticed, no matter where she was going.

"You should probably go too boys, you've got school tomorrow." Trisha suggested as soon as Armstrong's footsteps had disappeared beneath the chattering and machines of the ward.

"But Mum-" Al began to protest.

"No Al. You still need to eat dinner; I know neither of you has packed your bag; and one of you is bound to have homework that needs doing. If you don't go now, you'll be up so late you'll miss first period tomorrow morning." Ed wondered if it was a skill of mothers to be able to lecture even when lying weakened in hospital bed.

"Boys?" Ed turned to see who had interrupted them again- it was a nurse. "I'm afraid it's the end of visiting hours- you'll have to leave, but you can come back tomorrow." She smiled kindly at them.

"See- God's on my side." Trisha almost smirked.

"You don't even believe in God," Ed grumbled under his breath.

"I can take a sign," his mother replied accommodatingly.

"Come on Ed, we've got to go anyway," Al told him. "I'll see you tomorrow Mum." The youngest added, kissing his mother on the cheek.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Ed reiterated, his hands sliding back into his pockets.

"What no kiss?" Trisha inquired teasingly.

"No," Ed answered with a scowl.

Trisha laughed, "Oh my big boy's all grown up- he doesn't love his mother anymore."

Ed glared at her, "shut up. I didn't say that."

Trisha laughed again, "I know," she smiled softly. "I'll see you boys tomorrow."

(F)(U)(L)(L)(M)(E)(T)(A)(L)

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